Awakened
by MiaRoseDixon
Summary: Rosanna was on her own. Until she met a certain crossbow wielding hunter. OCxDaryl Dixon Disclaimer: I don't own TWD characters, I'm just borrowing them.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

Rosanna smiled as she walked through the trees, the sound of a waterfall leading her to a beautiful pool in a small clearing in the woods. The prospect of a bath and to do some laundry made her smile grow brighter. She hesitated for a moment at the edge of the clearing as she listened, expanding her senses to search for any movement or sounds that shouldn't be there. After a moment she continued on, walking directly to the pool of water underneath a stunning little waterfall. Rosanna shrugged off her pack, dropping it gently onto the grass before stretching her arms above her head and sighing happily. She touched her two matching hot pink Japanese double swords with silver flowers etched onto the hilts, and set them by the water so she could grab them quickly if needed. She did the same with her revolvers. Once more she stood still and listened for a moment or two before quickly stripping off her clothes and opening her pack to remove a fat bar of jasmine scented soap. She dove into the warm water and swam in a circle before floating on her back lazily, looking up at the bright sun.

She had traveled for weeks from her home in California, looking for some kind of civilization. Most of the time she had been able to find a car, but her last vehicle ran out of gas just as she entered Georgia, and she had been unable to find either a new car or gas. For the past few weeks, she had traveled on foot. Rosanna undid her dark brown braid and took up the bar of soap to wash her hair, thinking of her travels. At first, she had thought to go to the CDC in Atlanta, but when she got there, it had been burned down. Frowning at the memory, Rosanna ducked under the water to rinse her hair and began absentmindedly washing her body. All she had wanted were answers. What had happened to the world? What _were_ the walkers, exactly? Was there a cure? And most importantly, _what had_ she _turned into_? Sighing, Rosanna rinsed her body and climbed out of the water, sitting on the grass and taking a comb from her pack. She combed through her waist length hair and braided it before rummaging through her belongings for her last clean outfit, a sapphire blue tank top that matched her eyes and short cutoff denim shorts.

 _Why didn't I die?_ she thought for the thousandth time as she pulled on the clothes.

It had happened in Arizona, just on the outskirts of New Mexico. Rosanna had pulled into a motel in the middle of nowhere, hoping that she could scrounge up some food and water. Driving through the desert hadn't been the smartest idea, with no way of knowing whether or not she'd be able to find gas to make it through. God knew what she would do if the car broke down. She didn't know the first thing about cars. Pulling her swords from their sheaths, Rosanna approached the debilitated office, moving silently through the parking lot. She hesitated at the door, listening carefully before trying the knob. To her surprise, the door opened easily and she walked in, squinting at the setting sun shining brightly through a window. She checked the room quickly, looking for walkers or other signs of inhabitants before noticing an open cabinet containing a case of bottled water, a box half full of granola bars, and a few large plastic cups of instant noodles. Rosanna almost shrieked with happiness as she guzzled down a water, ripped off the wrapper of a bar, and stuffed it into her mouth. She gathered up the supplies and went back out to the car, putting them safely in the trunk before looking back at the motel. _I should check the rest of the rooms,_ she thought, tightening her grip on her swords and striding back to the office.

Rosanna quickly looked through the seven guest rooms, wrinkling her nose when she came upon a couple of corpses in one that looked like they had shot themselves. Flies and maggots were everywhere. The gun they had used was out of ammo so she left it there. Finding nothing else of value in any of the rooms, Rosanna went back to the office and contemplated spending the night. She was standing in a doorway, trying to make up her mind, when she heard a sound right behind her. Turning quickly, drawing her weapons, she knew it was too late before she even felt the bite to her shoulder. The walker ripped through her skin and muscle as Rosanna screamed, shoving him off her, his mouth red with her blood. She quickly decapitated him and rammed one of her swords through his temple before sliding to the ground. The wound hurt horribly, a mixture of burning and pain that resounded through her whole body. Rosanna drew her knees to her chest and started to cry. She knew the drill. The infection would spread, she'd get a fever, then she would die and become a walker. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she hugged herself while the sun set and the moon rose.

She didn't know how long she sat there. The sun was already sinking below the horizon again as the wave of thirst reminded her body that she needed to drink. It was so hot. _She_ was so hot. Sweat dripped from her temples, her forehead. She could smell the rank scent of sweat and fear from her armpits. She had to get water, but as she tried to stand, the room spun and she fell back to the floor. Her shoulder burned, the infection burning its way through her veins like liquid fire. Rosanna tried to roll over but couldn't. Her eyes felt so heavy. She had to sleep. She fought it, but her eyes drifted shut. Everything went black.

Then she woke up.

For a moment, she didn't know where she was. Everything she saw was sharp, clear in its clarity. She stared ahead, looking at the dust motes in the air, before her gaze fell on a can of ant spray far across the room. As far away as it was, she realized she could read the tiny print of the warning label. Rosanna read the label several times, her cheek pillowed on the smelly carpet . . . God it was smelly! _Had it been that smelly before?_ she thought lazily, slowly pushing herself into a sitting position. The room was noisy, she thought she could hear small bugs crawling around, flies buzzing, and there was a wiggly, slithery noise she couldn't place. For a moment she froze, remembering what had happened. Her fingers reached up to her shoulder and found . . . nothing. Rosanna took in a deep breath, feeling the wound again. It definitely wasn't there. _What the hell?_ Maybe she had dreamed the bite. But no, there was the walker, just where she had left it.

Rosanna stood up. The motion seemed more fluid, much faster than usual. She rubbed her arm, absentmindedly feeling for the scars she had gotten as a teenager when she was in a minor car crash. Nothing was there. Slowly, she turned her ams, looking for them. They were definitely gone. Her skin seemed paler than usual, like she had lost her tan. She twisted her legs, looking for the scar she had gotten as a child climbing a tree. It was gone as well. Suddenly her mind couldn't process what had happened and she grabbed her swords off the ground, racing for the car. Numbly, she realized she was moving faster than she ever had before. She slid in the front seat, shoved the keys into the ignition, and tore out of the motel parking lot like a herd of walkers were right behind her.

It didn't take her long to notice she was a lot stronger than before, in addition to moving faster. Once, while in between cars, she ran into a herd. Instead of trying to fight her way out, she ran away. She was shocked by how quickly she could move. It seemed like she was flying down the road, and she didn't feel winded at all, no matter how far she ran. Her senses were heightened. She could see better, hear better, smell better. It helped tremendously that she could smell the rot coming from a walker before she could hear them. She avoided people, observing them from a distance, not wanting to bring attention to herself as she was learning to control her new abilities. She had broken several mugs by gripping them too hard. The heat of the day and the cool of night no longer bothered her. She could sleep without fear of being attacked, as she could hear things from relatively far away that woke her up immediately. That ability saved her when she ran into a couple groups of rough men, as well as walkers.

Another thing Rosanna was surprised to find out was how quickly she healed. After accidentally cutting herself while skinning a rabbit, she watched in shocked wonder as the cut healed itself in less than a minute. All that remained was the blood. The knowledge terrified her, and she cried often. It was when she hit Louisiana when she thought of going to the Center for Disease Control, both to see if there were any survivors located there, and to get her questions answered. She cried some more when she got there, only to be disappointed.

 _It didn't make sense,_ she thought, bringing herself back to the present as she gazed at the waterfall. _It still doesn't._ Shrugging, Rosanna pulled a few dirty outfits out of her backpack and prepared to wash them. Suddenly she heard a horse neigh, a curse, and she leaped up as someone fell down the cliff above her. She grabbed her things quickly and leaped into a thicket of bushes as a man slid down the waterfall into the pool of water underneath. He stood up slowly, and immediately she knew he was hurt. Blood coated his forehead, and something stuck out of the side of his body. Looking closer, she could see it looked like an arrow. The man climbed painfully out of the water and began ripping off his shirtsleeves, making a makeshift bandage. He paused and looked up at the cliff above him before going to the pool and pulling a crossbow out of the water. She didn't move as he began making his way slowly up the cliff.

Rosanna decided not to interfere. She was already wary of the people in the area, having watched a large man walking through the forest the day before, holding a walker that had obviously once been a child on a stick in front of him. The walker was alive and fighting to eat the man, but he went stolidly on. Anyone stupid enough to capture a live walker instead of killing them wasn't someone she wanted to meet, as desperate as she was to talk to another person. She had her doubts about hillbillies in the woods anyway. She had watched _Wrong Turn_ plenty of times to know that was a bad idea. And this guy with an arrow sticking out of his stomach and a crossbow on his shoulder looked about as hillbilly as they come. She pushed her dirty clothes back in her pack and turned to slip out of the thicket when she heard a crash and yell, turning back just in time to see the man fall down the cliff once more. This time he didn't move when he hit the ground.

Rosanna froze, waiting. He still didn't move. She turned to run, but with a sigh, she moved out of the thicket, drawing one blade and walking slowly towards him. If he was dead, she would put a blade through his brain before he turned. He was good looking under all the dirt, she noticed right away. He was muscular, with messy brown hair, a strong unshaved chin, and a handsome nose. The arrow sticking through his side looked grotesque. Fresh bruises and blood coated his arms and face. But he was breathing. Rosanna knelt beside him, hesitating for only a moment pulling her first aid kit from her pack. She clipped off the arrowhead and lifted the man slightly so she could pull the arrow from his stomach. Working quickly, she padded the bloody wound with gauze and wrapped it before moving on to the cuts on his face. It took a while, but she soon had him bandaged up. Leaning back, she pushed a strand of hair from her face and reviewed her work. Knowing he would be thirsty when he woke up, Rosanna started a small fire and got some creek water boiling to kill any bacteria.

The man mumbled in his unconsciousness, unintelligible words except for a few. _Merle. The little girl. Her doll._ Rosanna watched him for a moment before she smelled rot, and heard the unmistakable sounds of a walker coming near. She leapt up, drawing both swords, and ran to dispatch the three walkers coming towards them. When she got back, the man was still unconscious.

Sighing, she sat beside him, looking him over. His pack still lay underneath him. She pulled it out and tentatively looked through it. There was a child's doll, a small package of jerky, and a water bottle in addition to extra crossbow bolts, a knife, rope, and a compass. Rosanna turned the doll around in her hands, wondering why he had taken it. He had obviously just found it, it was muddy and wet. She put everything back inside his pack and gently raised his head so she could put it under his head as a pillow. As she adjusted his head, his eyes fluttered, then opened wide.

"Who're you?" he mumbled, squinting up at her in the sunlight.

She tightened her grip on her swords and looked down at him. "I'm Rosanna."

He made to sit up and Rosanna quickly put her swords down, holding him back. "Not just yet," she said. "You fell, badly. You're hurt. Go slowly."

The man feebly tried to swat her hands away and sat up, groaning as he did so. "What happened?"

"You fell," she repeated. "Got an arrow stuck in you. I pulled it out and dressed the wound. I don't think it hit any major organs, but I'm no doctor."

"I've got to get back to the farm," the man said, trying to stand. "I found . . ." He broke off and glared at her. "Haven't seen a kid around, have you? A girl, named Sophia?"

Rosanna shook her head, bemused. She wondered if she should mention the child walker, but decided against it. "No. But I saw a car up on the highway, had the name Sophia written on it."

"That would be where we lost her. Told her to stay there if she found her way back."

"There was food there and stuff. I didn't take any of it. I had a feeling it was for someone who was lost," Rosanna replied. "Your daughter?"

"No," the man said grumpily. "One of our group's."

She nodded, taking the pot of water off the fire. "I boiled water for you. I have tea bags, it's hot enough to make tea if you like. You should drink something."

The man shrugged. Rosanna pulled a mug from her pack, added a tea bag and water, and set it on the ground next to him to cool. "What's your name?" she asked as she made herself a cup of tea.

"Daryl," he answered, slowly reaching for his tea and taking a careful sip.

"You from around here?" she asked, taking a sip from her own cup.

He hesitated, looking her over but good. "Our group came from Atlanta."

"I was just there," Rosanna told him. "It's overrun."

"It was when we were there," he said, looking at her suspiciously. "You were there alone? And survived?"

She shrugged. "I've been alone since the beginning of all this." She looked down at her hands. "Since before that, even."

He was silent, still staring at her with hard eyes. He finished his tea and set down the mug. "Well, thank you, I guess," he said sullenly. "But I gotta get back now."

"You won't make it far, with those wounds," Rosanna informed Daryl as he tried to stand, yelping as he put weight on his left leg. "Looks like you got yourself a sprain, if your leg isn't broken,"

"I'll make it," Daryl almost growled, looking around. "Where's my crossbow? You ain't tryin' to steal it, are you?"

"No," Rosanna huffed. "I have these," she said, pointing at her swords. "I wouldn't know the first thing about how to shoot a crossbow anyway." She got up, stung at his accusation, and walked over to the edge of the cliff where the crossbow lay. "Here." She thrust it at him, harder than she should have.

He grunted as the crossbow hit his chest, and took it from her. "Okay. Thanks."

"Well," Rosanna said, packing her things back into her backpack. "It was nice to meet you, Daryl." She sat on the ground and looked at him expectantly.

"What?" he asked suspiciously.

She smiled at him. "Oh, I just want a good seat for this. I can't wait to see how you think you're going to get out of here without help."

His expression darkened and he glanced up at the cliff. "I'll make it," he grumbled.

"Oh, I'm sure," Rosanna retorted. "It may help you to know there's a path right over there. It leads upwards, so I think it'll take you back up where you want to go." She pointed with the pommel of her sword.

He huffed at her and with a last glare, turned to go. He limped along, obviously in pain, stopping every few feet to catch his breath. "Dammit!" he shouted, and he turned to look at her. "Are you enjoying this?" he snarled.

She shrugged. "Not really. You'd make it if I helped you, you know. What are you going to do if you run into walkers? And I just want to make it clear right now, I'm not trying to infringe upon your group's setup. I'm good on my own. I'll help you get home, then I'll leave."

He considered for a minute. "That's okay then," he said gruffly, "Just so we're clear."

Rosanna nodded and lifted her pack, making sure her swords and guns were properly secured. She stood up and walked over to the bushes, looking for a sturdy stick. "Here," she said, handing Daryl the stick and standing close so he could put an arm around her shoulders. "You're going to be fine," she assured him as they started on their way.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

They walked out of the woods into a pasture. Rosanna looked up and saw a lovely white farmhouse in the distance, with an RV and several cars and trucks parked out front. As far away as it was, she could see several people milling about. Including a woman standing on top of the RV. The woman was yelling, "Walker, Walker," although Rosanna knew Daryl wouldn't be able to hear it clearly. The people on the ground began running toward them and the woman on the RV raised a gun. Rosanna bit her lip and pulled Daryl down as the gun went off, knowing from how close the sound of the bullet made that she had just saved Daryl's life yet again.

"What the hell?" Daryl yelled.

"That bitch shot at us!" Rosanna cried, preparing to pull her swords out as a group of people ran toward them holding weapons.

"Don't," Daryl said, pulling on her arm. "These are my people."

"She. Shot. At. You." Rosanna said flatly, reaching for her swords again.

Daryl shook his head. "She probably thought we were walkers."

Rosanna bit her lip harder as the people approached. One was a bald man with a necklace that had a 22 on it. Another was an Asian kid, younger than herself. The others were a tough looking black guy and a scruffy looking white man who looked like he was growing a beard.

"Daryl!" the scruffy guy shouted, running closer.

"Rick," Daryl answered as the man and the black guy took him from Rosanna, each putting an arm over their shoulders.

"What the fuck happened?" the bald man asked, glaring at Rosanna.

"I fell off a cliff. This chick helped me. Names Rosanna," Daryl answered.

The bald man scrutinized Rosanna while the Asian looked from her to Daryl in wonder. "Where'd you come from?" the bald man asked.

"California," Rosanna answered shortly, annoyed at the man's tone. "And Daryl needs attention. I'll be going now." She glanced at Daryl. "It was nice to meet you Daryl, I hope you recover fully." She turned to go, but the bald man grabbed her arm. Without thinking, Rosanna moved instinctively. Something about the smell and demeanor of the bald man turned her stomach. She grabbed his other arm and flipped him, throwing him on his back. "Don't you dare touch me," she snarled.

"Damn that was actually really badass!" the Asian kid told her with a smile.

Rosanna backed up, looking from one person to the other worriedly as Rick jumped between Rosanna and the bald guy. "Shane, leave her alone!" Rick yelled as Shane glared at Rosanna.

"How'd the hell you do that?" Shane snarled, dusting off his clothes.

She shrugged, keeping one hand on a sword. "Martial arts." She certainly wasn't going to inform him it had just been instinctual.

"Look," Rick said evenly, still holding Shane off. "You helped one of ours. Least we could do is feed you dinner."

Rosanna shrank against a tree. "I don't know. I told Daryl I didn't want to get involved in your group. I just wanted to make sure he got home safe."

"Good, then leave," Shane spat, still glaring.

"That's not right," the Asian said. He lifted a hand towards Rosanna. "Hi, I'm Glenn. Sorry about Shane, he sometimes acts like he's got a stick up his ass."

Rosanna took a deep breath and took Glenn's hand. "I'm Rosanna. It's nice to meet you Glenn. And Rick." She nodded towards the bearded man.

"I'm T-Dog," the black man said, nodding at her. Rosanna smiled at him. He grinned back.

"Come meet everyone," Rick said, going back to help Daryl.

Rosanna steeled herself and followed them through the pasture. By that time, another group of people had congregated in the front yard under a tree.

Rosanna was introduced to Hershel, the owner of the farm, his daughters Maggie and Beth, Beth's boyfriend Jimmy, and Patricia, an older woman who smiled warmly at her but had a distinct aura of sadness around her.

"This is my son, Carl," Rick said, pointing to a young boy, "and my wife Lori." He pulled a dark haired woman into a half hug.

"I'm Dale," an older man said, "and this is Andrea."

Rosanna studied the blonde woman. "You shot at Daryl."

Andrea glared at her. "I thought he was a walker."

"Well didn't anyone tell you, the first rule of learning to shoot is to know for sure what you're shooting at?" Rosanna asked caustically.

Andrea sputtered, and Dale put an arm around her. "It was an accident," he said.

Rosanna shrugged. "Well, it's nice to meet you all. I tended to stay away from people since all this began. I haven't met anyone, really, besides Daryl."

"You haven't been with a group?" Lori asked.

"No. I saw what some people became, worse than walkers really, so I stayed by myself," Rosanna said quietly, looking at another woman who had just come from the house. She had short hair and looked rather motherly.

"I'm Carol," the woman said, holding out her hand. "Thank you so much for bringing Daryl back."

"Are you his mom?" Rosanna blurted, and at the strange look on Carol's face she flinched back. "Sorry."

"It's ok," Carol said, smiling strangely. "I am a mom but Sophia's my daughter."

"The girl Daryl was trying to find?" Rosanna asked.

Carol's eyes teared up. "Yes."

Rosanna nodded and then shook her head. "I'm sorry, I haven't met a girl. But I'm happy to help look, if you need help."

Rick smiled at her. "Thank you, we just may take you up on that offer."

"But I need to make it clear, I'm not here for a handout or anything. If you need help, I'm happy to look, but I don't want to intrude, and I'm not looking to stay," Rosanna said quickly.

"You helped Daryl, and he's back safe because of you," Carol said, as Hershel followed Rick, T-Dog, and Daryl into the house. "Hershel will help him."

"He helped me, and I was shot," Carl said.

Rosanna frowned and kneeled down to Carl's level, looking the boy over. "You were shot?"

"Yes," Carl answered. "And Hershel helped me. He'll help Daryl too."

"It was amazing, what Hershel did for my boy," Lori said, pulling her son into a hug and smiling at Rosanna. "He saved his life."

"Are those swords?" Carl asked eagerly, pointing towards the sheaths on her back.

Rosanna nodded. "Yes. My father bought them for me one year when I got really into anime." She shrugged, smiling. "Who knew they'd actually be useful for something other than looking pretty on my wall. Would you like to see one?" She looked up at Lori for permission and got a nod in return. She drew a sword and gave it hilt first to Carl. "Be careful, they're very sharp."

"It's heavier than it looks," Carl said, grinning.

"Is that all you have for protection?" Carol asked tentatively.

"No, I have guns but I rarely use them.," Rosanna said, taking back the sword and sheathing it. "They draw more walkers, so I only use them to hunt deer. I also have a hunting knife, but the swords are really all I need."

"That's amazing," Carol said, looking at Lori, who nodded.

"Guns are necessary," Andrea put in, still looking angry.

"Maybe for you," Rosanna said, "but I never _needed_ one. I know how to shoot, my dad was a hunter and I've been hunting every season for elk and deer since I was eight. We also shot clay pigeons as stress relief. I used them a lot at the beginning, but I ran out of ammo quickly, and I decided not to use them exclusively since I have my swords, and they work well."

"Bet you haven't ran into a herd then," Andrea spat, her lip curling.

Before Rosanna could answer, Carol and Lori both took an arm. "Come on in. There's a hot shower if you'd like to take one. Looks like you're pretty clean though."

"I had just finished bathing in the creek when I found Daryl," Rosanna answered gratefully, "But I'd love to take a hot shower. I haven't had one in the longest time."

"We can do your laundry too," Carol said, "just let me have it and I'll get your things nice and clean for you. Would you like to shower before or after dinner? Dinner's ready now but we can hold it off until you're done."

"I'll do it after, if that's okay," Rosanna said gratefully. "But I'd like to check on Daryl first."

They led Rosanna into the majestic house, and she looked around interestedly. This was the first nice place she had seen since the apocalypse. "This is lovely," she said in appreciation. Maggie heard her.

"Thank you," she said, smiling. "This place has been in our family for a hundred and sixty years."

"That's amazing!" Rosanna smiled back, looking around eagerly. "I've never been in a real farmhouse before. I've never even been on a _farm_."

Maggie grinned as Glenn walked up behind her, timidly touching her shoulder. "I guess you want to check on Daryl. Come on."

Rosanna followed Maggie and Glenn into a small family room, where Hershel was stitching up Daryl's arrow wound. Daryl frowned when he saw Rosanna and looked away.

"He'll be just fine in a few days," Hershel said serenely without looking up. "You needn't worry."

"That's good," Rosanna answered with a small smile at a still frowning Daryl. "You have a beautiful house. Maggie tells me its been in your family for a hundred and sixty years?"

Hershel looked up for a moment to beam at her. "Yes, it sure has."

Not knowing what else to say, Rosanna looked down at her boots. Carol and Lori came in smiling. "Dinner's ready," Carol said with a small smile at Rosanna.

She followed the women into the dining room, where the others were just sitting down at a large table. "Wow, that smells delicious," Rosanna said, taking the seat T-Dog held out for her.

"Lori and Carol made it," said Beth, holding Jimmy's hand.

Rosanna nodded and took the plate Carol handed her, filled with chicken, fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, and mashed potatoes with thin gravy. "Wow, thanks. I haven't had chicken in the longest time. I've been living off venison and rabbit. Snake too, when I was in the desert."

"It's our pleasure," said Carol. "You brought Daryl back to us."

The others nodded while they helped themselves to their own plate. "So what happened, exactly?" Lori asked after glaring at Carl when the boy chewed with his mouth open. "Rick said Daryl has an arrow wound?"

Rosanna chewed her bite of chicken and swallowed before answering. "Yes. I was at the creek washing clothes when he fell down the waterfall. I hid at first. I was scared, I'll admit it. He got the arrow stuck in him when he fell. He tried climbing the cliff, but he fell again and didn't move. So I did what I could for him. He mentioned a little girl." She looked at Carol. "Your daughter . . . Sophia, right? She's missing?"

Carol's eyes filled with tears. "Yes, it's been several days. We lost her when a herd got to us on the highway. She ran into the woods."

"I'm so sorry," Rosanna replied. "I can't imagine how you feel. And there's been no luck whatsoever? No clue as to where she might be?"

"None, and we've been all over," Andrea answered, staring coldly at Rosanna.

"Daryl's been going out every day," Dale put in.

She surveyed the group before deciding to let them know what she had seen. The group definitely didn't look like _Wrong Turn_ hillbillies. "The only child I've seen was a walker," Rosanna said quietly. "A big man was walking it through the woods a couple of days ago."

Everyone at the table stared at her. "What do you mean, _walking_ it?" Glenn asked as Maggie looked at her sister and Patricia with a strange expression.

"It was attached to a stick," Rosanna tried to explain. "That's why I didn't help Daryl the first time he fell. I was afraid he was part of the same weird group. I didn't want to get involved with people who keep walkers as pets."

"You've been hanging around here for how long, exactly?" Maggie asked, her face red with anger. It didn't seem directed at Rosanna, but at something else.

Rosanna looked at each person staring back at her, making her feel uncomfortable. She put down her fork. "I've been in the woods. I found a deer that had been shot and just left there. No walkers had gotten to it, and it had been recently killed, so I took some of the meat. I spent a day smoking it so it would keep better. I'm sorry, have I missed something here?" She looked at each person in turn.

"It must have been the deer Otis shot," Beth said to Maggie, then looked at Rosanna. "Otis was Patricia's husband. He shot the deer, but the bullet went through and hit Carl. That's how they all got here." She motioned towards Glenn, Dale, T-Dog, Lori, Carol, Carl, and Andrea.

"Otis died, getting supplies to heal the boy," Patricia said quietly. "Walkers got him."

"Do you think Otis was . . ." Beth began, only to be shushed by Maggie.

"Can you tell me what the child was wearing?" Carol asked hesitantly.

Rosanna shook her head. "A T-shirt and cargo pants, I think. I was too far away to see properly, and the clothes were too dirty to see what color they were. I think it had chin length hair, though."

Carol put her hands to her mouth as Shane strode in. "What's going on?" he asked harshly, giving Rosanna a glare as he reached for a slice of chicken breast, popping it in his mouth whole. T-Dog told him what Rosanna had seen. "Really?" Shane looked at each person at the table. "A big guy, walking a fucking walker like it was a pet?" He slammed his fist onto the table. "Otis?" He scowled at Maggie and Patricia, who looked down at her plate. Maggie glared right back.

"Who knows?" she spat.

"Who else could it have been? Any other fat guys live around here? She said the walker was a child!" Shane shouted. "We're risking our lives looking for that girl. Look what happened to Daryl! I want to know what the hell's going on!"

Patricia let out her breath and looked at Maggie. "Honey, maybe we should . . ."

"No!" Maggie shouted, standing up so fast her chair fell backwards. "We're not doing this!"

"Doing what?" Hershel asked as he walked into the room, wiping his hands on a towel.

Glenn filled him in. Hershel looked at Rosanna with an odd expression, then turned to Shane. "I don't see how you think this man and the child have anything to do with us."

"Child? You mean people-eating _walker_!" Shane raged. "Who else could it have been in these woods?"

"To be fair," Rosanna interjected, "I was in these woods and I'm not part of your group. So like Maggie and Hershel said, it could have been anyone. Not someone they know."

"Like _you_ said just now, you're not part of our group so you keep your fucking mouth shut!" Shane raged. He pointed at Hershel, who winced at his cussing. "Who the fuck could it have been then?"

Rick came into the room looking serious. "What's going on?" Rick asked. Lori stood up and pulled him aside.

"If that walker could have been Sophia, we need to know who has her," Rick told Hershel immediately.

"I have no idea where she could be," Hershel said, motioning to Beth, Jimmy, Maggie, and Patricia, who all stood up and left the room. "This is my land. I don't want any trouble. I don't appreciate being yelled at and cursed at in my own home." He looked solemnly at Rick. "I think it's time for your group to get ready to leave. Carl's much better and Daryl will be able to travel soon."

"We need to find Sophia first," Rick stipulated. "And I want to discuss staying."

"If the girl is infected, what will you do?" asked Hershel, brushing off Rick's statement.

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose. Shane shook his head. "If she's a walker, we'll put a bullet in her head and then we'll bury her," Shane said, crossing his arms.

Hershel merely looked at him. Rick gave Shane a look and shook his head slightly. "Hershel, we'll do what's right."

"And if there's a cure, what then?" Hershel asked. "You just killed a sick little girl."

"There is no fucking cure!" Shane shouted. "You're fucking crazy! We were at the CDC! _There is no cure!_ "

"How did you get in the CDC?" Rosanna asked. "When I got there, it was burned down."

"You went to the CDC?" Lori asked.

"Yes. But like I said, it was burned to the ground. Looked like an explosion."

"Dr. Jenner was the last man working for a cure," Rick told Hershel gently. "He said there is no cure. The CDC blew up when it ran out of power for its generators. Jenner almost blew us up with it. He said there was no hope."

"Our friend Jacqui stayed," Carol said quietly.

"He killed her?" Rosanna asked, shocked.

"No, she wanted to stay. She didn't want to live in this world anymore," Lori answered, putting a hand on Carol's arm. Both women shared a sad look.

"So there is no cure, nor any prospect of one," Rosanna said finally.

Rick, Shane, Glenn, Andrea, and Lori all nodded. Dale and Andrea exchanged a look. Carol and Carl looked down at the table.

"None whatsoever," Rick said, looking Rosanna and then Hershel straight in the eye.

Hershel pressed his lips together and shook his head. "I'm going to bed," he said quietly. "I expect all of you out of here when you finish your dinner. And I don't want you filling my girl's heads with this no cure nonsense. I want peace and quiet tonight. The next person who shouts or curses will be banned from the house." He turned to go. Rosanna stood up and put a hand on his arm.

"I sincerely apologize," she told him. "I didn't mean to start a fight. I didn't know . . ."

"It's not your fault," Hershel said with a strained smile. "I'm glad you found Daryl. He wouldn't have made it out of the woods without your help. We have bears and coyotes in there and it seems like ever since all this happened, there have been more of them. They're getting bolder, too. All that blood would have drawn them right to him. If he hadn't bled out first."

Rosanna nodded and let go of his arm. "I heard that you would like to take a hot shower. Let me get Patricia for you. She'll show you where the bathroom is and get you a pillow and blanket. You can sleep on the couch tonight. I'll allow you to stay for now, but when Rick and his people go, I expect you to go too."

"I'm perfectly fine with that," Rosanna said, looking at Shane, who looked as if he was going to argue. Rick shook his head at him and Rosanna looked back at Hershel. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'd like to stay a few days and get laundry done, maybe hunt and smoke some more meat. I'm willing to help out with whatever you need done here on the farm, and I will absolutely share some of my meat with you, if I can get it."

"That won't be necessary," Hershel replied. "I'll get Patricia. Good night."

"Good night, Hershel," Rosanna said with a small smile.

"Rick, I need to talk to you," Shane said, motioning towards the door. Rick and Shane went outside while everyone else sat quietly back down to finish their dinner. Rosanna sat too, looking down at her dinner that she no longer had an appetite for.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Rosanna woke up feeling better than she ever had since the end of her world. She noticed that since she had been bitten, she needed less sleep to feel refreshed, but having a good long hot shower had made her sleepier than usual. She went to use the bathroom, changed out of the pajamas Maggie had lent her into some more of Maggie's clean clothes, and brushed her hair and teeth. _It's nice having toothpaste,_ she thought as she used the homemade baking soda and mint paste Patricia had concocted. Patricia had told her the night before that she had enjoyed making her own natural soaps, candles, toothpaste, and deodorant before the virus hit, and that was what the family was used to using. _It's not bad,_ Rosanna thought, smiling at herself in the mirror. She flipped her braid behind her and went back downstairs to get her dirty clothing out of her bag.

Beth met her in the kitchen. "You hungry?" she asked in her sweet voice. "We've got scrambled eggs, and Daddy smoked a ham last month that'll melt in your mouth."

"Wow, thanks," Rosanna said eagerly, sniffing the warm, fragrant air of the kitchen. "Is that _coffee_?"

Beth laughed. "Yes ma'am. It sure is. Our cow's out of milk so you'll have to take it black, but it sure is good. Patricia made it."

"I don't mind it black," Rosanna said, sitting at the table as Beth got her a plate. "This is delicious," she told Beth over a mouthful of egg speared with a small piece of ham. Beth just shrugged, smiling, and went back into the kitchen. After Rosanna finished eating, she took the plate back to Beth. "Where is everyone?"

"Outside," Beth answered, and smiled again politely as Rosanna went out the door.

She found Carol outside with Lori doing laundry. "Just drop your clothes off with us," Carol said. "We'll get them washed for you."

"I can help," Rosanna began, but Lori cut her off.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's been a long time since you relaxed. Just enjoy your day."

Rosanna smiled and handed over her clothes. Lori and Carol smiled back and went back to work as Rosanna stepped out from under the tree, closing her eyes and raising her face to the warm sunshine. She stood for a minute before surveying the property. Andrea and Dale stood on top of the RV, guns at the ready, keeping watch. Shane, Rick, Jimmy, and T-Dog were perusing a map laid out on the hood of a car. Maggie and Glenn were going into what looked like a chicken coop. Carl was helping Hershel fix a fence post a little way down the dirt driveway, but it looked as if the boy was talking more than actually helping. She couldn't see Daryl, and assumed he was still in the house. Beth and Patricia were just coming out with a load of their own clean clothes to put on the line to dry. Everyone had their chore, and Rosanna felt like the odd one out.

She decided to go ask Hershel if there was anything she could help with, but as she passed Rick he called her over. Ignoring a glare from Shane, Rosanna complied.

"We were just wondering where you saw the man and the walker," Rick explained, motioning towards the map.

Rosanna leaned over, biting her lip. "I'm not too good at reading maps but I'll try." She pointed her finger towards the highway. "I followed the 85 down to this crossroads," she said, tracing her finger down. "Then I decided to go hunting. I think I went in the woods around here," she said, pointing again. "So I think I saw them around this area." She pointed to an area just off the creek, close to the beginning of Hershel's property.

"We've searched there already," T-Dog said. "We didn't see anything."

"Told you she'd be useless," Shane grumbled.

Rosanna looked him square in the eye. "I was planning on hunting again before I leave. My dad always said I was a decent tracker, I can help search and hunt at the same time."

"Daryl's our tracker," Shane began, but Rick held up a hand.

"Daryl's down for the count for awhile. Any help we can get is appreciated."

"I'll go out now," Rosanna said, adjusting her revolvers.

"Not alone," Rick stipulated.

"Yes, alone," Rosanna answered. "I'm used to hunting alone. I don't need distractions."

"Look, I know you're not part of this group, but I'd feel a lot better if you had someone with you, just in case," Rick argued.

"I'll go," T-Dog said. "I can be quiet, and you'll need help carrying the meat back if you get lucky."

Rosanna said nothing. She knew it would be easy to carry an entire deer back, but she didn't want anyone to know she was that strong. All she needed was Shane to become more suspicious of her.

"If you don't mind . . ." T-Dog continued, looking at Rosanna with a smile.

She shrugged. "I guess I don't mind. We'll start out where I saw the man and the walker. I'll try to track them, but the trail may be cold."

Shane rolled his eyes and wiped his forehead, turning away. "You take that area then," Rick said, pointing at the map. "Jimmy and I will search over here." He pointed to another area. "Jimmy says there's a hunter's cabin out by the creek, so maybe Sophia went there. And Shane, take Andrea and check out this housing development. It's by the woods and close to the highway, so she may be there."

"If she's not dead already," Shane snarled. Rick gave him a hard stare. "Just sayin'."

Rosanna nodded at T-Dog and the two of them began walking down the driveway. "Where are you going, Rosanna?" Carl asked as they passed him and Hershel.

"Looking for Sophia, and going hunting," Rosanna answered, smiling and ruffling the boy's hair.

"Be careful out there," was all Hershel had to say, staring at T-Dog's rifle.

"We will. Thanks," Rosanna said as she and T-Dog walked away.

"So you're from California?" T-Dog asked once they were in the pasture.

"Yes, from Garberville, in Northern California."

"I don't know much about California," T-Dog admitted. "I've only been to Alabama and Florida."

"It's redwood country really," Rosanna said as she jumped over a fence. "Humboldt County, where everyone either grows or smokes marijuana." She giggled. "Or grows _and_ smokes."

T-Dog laughed. "Really?"

"Yes. Best weed I ever smoked, that's for sure."

"I haven't smoked since all this began. Used to smoke a lot."

"I did on occasion. Mostly to get to sleep. I had bad insomnia as a teenager."

T-Dog nodded. "So what else did you do, besides smoke weed?"

Rosanna thought for a minute. "I hiked a lot. There are a bunch of state parks where I grew up, and I loved the outdoors. I went fishing on the Eel River. Camped almost every weekend. Hunted when it was the season. My dad got me into it."

"Are your parents dead?" T-Dog asked bluntly.

"Yes, but my mom died of cancer when I was six, then my dad was in a car crash when I was twenty. So neither had to deal with all this crap."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm glad they went when they did. I don't much remember my mom, but my dad . . . well he was too kind to be able to survive like this. He'd want to help everyone, and he wouldn't be able to mistrust people. He'd think everyone was good and act accordingly."

"Where did you work?" T-Dog asked, obviously changing the subject.

"I was a receptionist at a vet office," Rosanna answered with a smile. "On my off days, I volunteered at the local animal shelter. To be honest, I had very few friends. I was an only child, then it was just me and my dad. My dad was my best friend. When he died, I continued camping and fishing and stuff because it was something we did whenever we could. I just went alone." She glanced over at T-Dog. "What about you? What did you do before all this?"

He laughed. "I lived in Atlanta, and I was a janitor for one of the high schools. I did part time janitorial work for my church. My biological parents are dead. They died soon after I was born, in a shootout between rival gangs. The bullets came through the walls of their apartment and killed them both. I grew up in foster care, and the last family I was with adopted me when I was thirteen. They were great parents. I had four sisters and a brother, all adopted. I was at the church when the world went to shit. I used their van to try and get any elderly residents of my neighborhood to the refugee center. I don't know what happened to my family. When I got home, they were all gone. I tried to make it out of the city, but then I met Glenn, and both of us ended up joining this group and hiding in the hills outside Atlanta."

"That sucks, I'm sorry," Rosanna said. It was one thing to have always been alone, but to lose one's entire family and not know what happened to them, well, that was terrible.

They walked on in silence for a while so Rosanna could hunt. A couple of hours later, they came to the spot off the creek where she had seen the man and the walker. "This is the place," she said quietly, observing the ground for tracks.

"Pretty far from the farm," T-Dog said, looking around.

"Yes, but not too far. I wonder if it was this Otis guy Shane was talking about."

"He and Shane went to get medical supplies when Glenn and I got to the farm. We never met him, but he was the one who accidentally shot Carl."

"Like Andrea _accidentally_ tried to shoot Daryl?" Rosanna couldn't help but say as she bent to examine a footprint.

"I'm not sure what happened. I was pretty out of it," T-Dog said, pulling up his sleeve. "See this? I got cut bad. I was hallucinating and stuff. Blood poisoning."

"Look," Rosanna said, ignoring him. "I think I found something." T-Dog looked where she was pointing in the dry mud from the riverbed. "This is a man's footprint, and see here, a smaller one that's dragging. I think these are their tracks."

They followed the tracks through the woods for an hour or two until they came upon another creek. "I think this is the creek that runs through Hershel's farm," T-Dog said. "Look, there's a pasture fence."

Rosanna cleared her throat. "It sure looks like they came to the farm," she said quietly. "The tracks end here though. I can't pick up the trail again."

"Let's look around some more on the other side."

They both walked through the creek and began searching the opposite bank. After about twenty minutes, Rosanna shook her head. "Nothing."

"It's something. We know they came back here."

"Do you think Hershel was lying then?"

T-Dog clutched his rifle and shook his head, looking serious. "I don't know. It's suspicious, the way he and his family were acting last night. But I don't get why anyone would bring a walker here. They all know they're dangerous."

Rosanna bit her lip. "Last night, Hershel asked what you all would do if you found Sophia and she was a walker. Shane said he'd shoot her, and Hershel said he'd be killing a sick little girl."

"So you think Hershel thinks they're just sick?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. This is just weird." T-Dog didn't say anything. "I think we should tell Rick alone about what we've found," Rosanna said finally.

He nodded in agreement. "I think so too. Shane would flip out."

Rosanna rolled her eyes. "If he believed me."

"Hey, I saw the prints too. He can't say we're both lying. Anyway, I'm getting a bit hungry. Why don't we go back and get something to eat, talk to Rick. We can go out again to hunt tomorrow."

Rosanna followed T-Dog back to the farmhouse. Andrea and Dale were still on watch. Carol was folding laundry, while Carl and Lori sat at a table, reading a book. The others were nowhere to be seen. "Where's Rick?" T-Dog asked Lori.

"I think he's in the house, talking to Hershel. Shane took the others out for target practice," Lori answered. "They got back from looking for Sophia not too long ago." The look on her face told Rosanna they hadn't found the little girl.

"Any luck?" Carol asked Rosanna, her eyes filling with tears.

Rosanna and T-Dog exchanged a look. "We found a trail, but it went cold," Rosanna said carefully. Carol nodded sadly and turned away as Rick came out of the house looking beleaguered.

T-Dog approached him immediately. "Rick, we need to talk." He and Rosanna followed the sheriff towards a pasture at the back of the house where they could speak privately. Rosanna told him exactly what they had found.

"Are you sure about this?" Rick asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Absolutely," T-Dog answered. "We followed the trail straight here."

"I don't know what to think," Rick said grimly.

"Neither do we. This, and the way Hershel and his family were acting last night, makes me wonder if something is up," Rosanna said. "What Hershel does is none of my business, and I don't want to get too involved, but there's a little girl's life at stake here."

"I'll talk to Hershel," Rick began, but Rosanna shook her head.

"You're already on thin ice with him, from what I've seen. I don't mind being chucked out, but you have a wounded man and little boy with you and so far this has been a safe place for you. You have food, medical care. You need Hershel. I don't think you should say anything. Not until we've combed through every inch of these woods. Sophia has to be out there, either alive or dead."

"You're right, Rosanna," Rick said with a sigh. "We need Hershel." He motioned towards the camp outside the house. "You must be hungry. Lori made vegetable soup." He strode away in the opposite direction.

Rosanna and T-Dog joined the others at the fire to get their bowls of soup. Rosanna took a bite and nodded at Lori. "This is really good."

Lori smiled at her, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Rosanna noticed Daryl come out of one of the tents to grab his own bowl of soup, hand on his abdomen where his wound was. To her surprise, he came to sit next to her. "Heard you went out lookin' for Sophia today."

"Yes," Rosanna said between spoonfuls of soup.

"Find anything?"

Rosanna studied Daryl before looking back down at her bowl. T-Dog watched her warily. "We found a trail, but lost it," she answered finally.

"Humph," Daryl snorted. "Thought you said you could track."

"Hey," T-Dog said, "We followed that trail for hours. It's not her fault it went cold."

"What do _you_ know about tracking?" Daryl sneered.

T-Dog and Rosanna exchanged looks. "We found the tracks of the man and the walker," T-Dog said carefully.

"Where'd they go?" Daryl asked, slurping up some soup.

"Like Rosanna said, we lost the trail."

Daryl snorted and moved away.

"This is going to be a hard secret to keep," Rosanna mumbled. T-Dog nodded and looked at the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Rosanna joined the group outside for breakfast as it seemed that Hershel and his family were in no mood to deal with Shane and his outbursts. She had just sat down with a plate given to her with a smile by Carol when Glenn stood up, looking apprehensive.

"Guys, uh, there's walkers in the barn," he almost mumbled.

Rosanna choked on a mouthful of egg and Carol pounded on her back as the others all stared at Glenn in disbelief.

"What the hell did you just say?" Shane snarled.

"There's walkers. In the barn," Glenn repeated, shuffling his feet, his hands in his pockets.

There was a flurry of motion as everyone put down their plates and took off running towards the barn. Rosanna stood next to Daryl as Shane looked through the crack in the door. Almost immediately, he jumped back. "Shit!"

He stormed back to Rick. "You can't tell me you're all right with this!"

"I'm not, but it's his land," Rick replied.

"This isn't right," said Rosanna. She looked over at T-Dog, who was staring back at her meaningfully. She shivered as she wondered if Sophia was in the barn with the other walkers.

"Damn straight it isn't right," Daryl spat, clutching his crossbow. "This is sick."

"We need to take care of this or we need to leave," Shane said.

"We can't leave, not until we find Sophia," Carol said sternly.

Shane and Rick started arguing, with Daryl getting in the middle. T-Dog and Rosanna exchanged another look. "What if she's in there?" Rosanna whispered to T-Dog, a little too loudly.

"The fuck do you mean?" Shane said.

Rosanna looked at Rick, who shook his head. "I'm going to talk to Hershel."

Dale shook his head. "Rick, Hershel sees those things in there as sick people. Not walkers. His wife's in there, his stepson. People he knew."

"You knew about this?" Rick asked.

Dale nodded. "Glenn told me. I talked to Hershel."

Shane started yelling at Dale, and the barn door creaked from the pressure of the walkers trying to get out. Everyone stood back. Rosanna drew her swords as Lori grabbed Carl and dragged him to a safe distance. She stood in front of the woman and her child protectively.

"Everyone, stay calm," Rick said quietly. "Go back to your chores. I'm going to talk to Hershel."

"Screw that, man," Shane answered. "I'm going to keep watch here. The rest of you, do what you want."

Rosanna gulped down a breath, looking at the barn. Suddenly the farm didn't seem so idyllic anymore. She glanced at Daryl, who walked beside her back to the camp. "Feeling better?" she asked.

He glared at her. "Not with biters in the barn," he answered, shaking his head and glancing back at the wooden structure distrustfully.

She nodded. "I know. It's crazy. Do you think Rick can convince Hershel to take care of it?"

He shrugged. "I dunno."

"Well, I won't be sleeping anytime soon," Rosanna said. "I think I may head out tomorrow. I can't stand it knowing they're so close." When Daryl didn't answer, she looked at him. "For your sakes I hope Hershel comes to his senses," she said gently. "This is a good place. It could be safer, with stronger fences, but unless a herd comes this way you're pretty well off."

He surprised her by nodding. "Yeah, I think so too."

"I think you've got good people around you," Rosanna admitted. "I've been wary of joining a group, they all seemed so crazy. But these people, they're wonderful. Really nice. I hope you all make it, Daryl."

"Why, you planning on staying now?" he asked gruffly.

She shook her head. "No. But it's been nice while it lasted. Being alone is lonely sometimes. I'd rather have it that way though, no one else to look out for, no one to mourn if they get killed."

"No one to watch your back," Daryl said surprisingly.

"Yes, but still," Rosanna answered as she looked down at her boots. "I can take care of myself."

"I don't doubt it," Daryl said, nodding once at her before walking away. Rosanna watched him go, watched the others get back to their chores, and watched Rick as he knocked on the front door of the house.

*A Few Hours Later*

Rosanna walked back through the trees of the woods by Hershel's farm, a couple of rabbits dangling from her belt. She found that she missed the chatter of everyone about her, and she looked forward to making her father's recipe for stewed rabbit over a campfire for the rest of the group. She sat on a camp chair and began skinning the rabbits, watching as Dale took a large black bag full of guns out of the RV and started off towards the woods. Andrea, Rick, and Shane were nowhere to be seen. Glenn was on top of the RV, on lookout wearing Dale's hat. Lori sat beside Carl on a foldout table, doing what looked like schoolwork. Carol was in the RV crying, Rosanna could hear every sob and cringed at each heartbreaking cry. Daryl was in his tent resting. Hershel and his family were in the house, Rosanna could hear them talking and moving around.

She focused on cleaning the rabbits, making sure to put the innards into a plastic bag to bury out in the woods later. She found her gaze resting more and more on the barn, where she saw Andrea talking to Shane. She watched as Shane left Andrea by the barn while he walked up to the RV, asking for Dale. Something about the man still gave her the creeps. She could, by now, recognize each of the group's personal scent, even when they were clean. Shane's reminded her of how she imagined the creature from the Black Lagoon to smell. It wasn't pleasant. She noticed Rick, Hershel, and Jimmy going out to the woods, and shrugging, focused on her task.

She had begun to butcher the rabbits and place the meat in a pot when Carol came out of the RV. Carol took one look at Rosanna and came over to help. "What can I do?" she asked, her face puffy and eyes red from crying.

"Well, I can cook these just fine by themselves, but they're better with onion and potato and carrots," Rosanna said with a small smile, not wanting to bring attention to Carol's distress.

Carol sat down beside her and began cutting chunks of carrot and potato from a bucket stored under the tree. "I think Maggie will give us an onion if we ask," she said quietly.

"That would be tasty," Rosanna said. "And there will be plenty to share." She smiled. "My dad would hunt rabbit while we were camping, and we had them this way. If we were at home, he'd make dumplings instead of using potato."

Carol smiled at her. "Where is your dad?"

Rosanna smiled back and threw the last chunk of rabbit into the pot. "Dead. He died from a car crash ten years ago."

"I'm so sorry," Carol said.

"I'm not," Rosanna answered, smiling at Carol so the older woman knew everything was ok.

Carol was silent for a while, cutting potatoes rather powerfully. "Daryl called me a bitch," she said finally, her face scrunched up.

"What? Why?" Rosanna asked, shocked.

"He doesn't agree that we shouldn't look for Sophia anymore."

"You don't think we should continue looking?" Rosanna was surprised.

"It's not that," Carol said quietly. "It's just . . . It has been so long. She's just a little girl. I never trained her to take care of herself. It just seems . . . selfish of me . . . you know, to ask others to look. I never go out there myself. Look what happened to Daryl. He could have died if you hadn't been there to help him."

"I think Daryl would have made it back regardless," Rosanna was shocked into saying. "If any man had straight out grit, he's the one."

Carol laughed. "He used to be such an ass. Once his brother left, though, he's calmed down a bit."

" _Used_ to be an ass?" Rosanna laughed and rolled her eyes before sobering up. "His brother left?"

Carol explained what had happened to Merle in Atlanta. Rosanna looked appalled. "Rick left him? Handcuffed to a roof?"

"They went back, but it was too late. He had cut off his own hand. But don't feel bad for Merle, that man deserved it. I know it was him that brought the walkers down on us before we left our camp outside Atlanta. Killed fifteen people, including my husband Ed and Andrea's sister Amy. Merle was an ass to everyone, was high all the time, didn't listen to the rules, put everyone in danger with his loud mouth, and . . . he put Daryl down a lot. He treated Daryl like a slave. Rick did what he had to do, and the others that were with him felt bad, but they agreed it had to be done."

"Yes, but what Daryl must be feeling!" Rosanna answered.

Carol nodded. "He feels more than he lets on. Its when he acts like the most of an asshole, when he feels more than he thinks he should."

"So is that what happened today?"

"Yes. He wouldn't be out looking for Sophia if he didn't care so much. I just don't want anyone else to get hurt."

Rosanna was about to answer when Shane came storming up, holding the bag of guns Dale had earlier. Most of the others had begun milling around the front of the house, and they all looked at Shane with surprise.

"What's all this?" Daryl asked as Shane shoved a gun into his hands.

"You with me, man?" Shane answered gruffly, walking up to the house. "Time to grow up." He glanced at Andrea. "Already got yours?"

Andrea and Daryl started following Shane as he began walking down the driveway. The others followed, wondering what was going on. He handed T-Dog a handgun. "I thought we couldn't carry," T-Dog said, looking at Shane with distaste.

"We can, and we have to," Shane said. He glared at Rosanna as she came to stand beside Maggie. Patricia and Beth came to stand behind them as Shane started talking.

"What is he doing?" Maggie whispered to Rosanna.

Rosanna shrugged. "I have no idea, but this isn't going to be good. Where's Rick?"

"He went with Jimmy and Hershel earlier," Patricia whispered, her hand on her heart as she stared at Shane.

"I saw him. They're not back?" Rosanna asked. Patricia shook her head.

Shane handed a gun to Glenn, as Maggie glared at him. "What about you? You going to protect yours?" Shane stared at Glenn as he accepted the gun. Maggie shook her head angrily.

"You do this, my dad's going to kick you all out!" Maggie said sternly.

Rosanna realized what Shane was planning on doing and bit her lip, wondering what would be the best course of action as Carl and Lori came out of the house.

"What's going on?" Lori asked.

"Shane's lost it," Rosanna said quietly.

"Hershel's going to have to understand," Shane was saying to Maggie.

Rosanna came to stand beside Daryl as Shane went to speak to Carl. "Do you agree with this?" she whispered.

Daryl nodded. "It's got to be done. Shane's right."

"Not like this," Rosanna said. "We'll all be thrown off the farm if Shane clears the barn."

"Thought you were leaving anyways," Daryl whispered back.

"I was planning on it, but I didn't want to leave Hershel pissed off. I would rather thank him for his hospitality and go in peace. He thinks those walkers are just sick people, for God's sake."

"God ain't got nothing to do with this," Daryl said fiercely.

"Oh shit!" T-Dog said loudly, making everyone in the group turn to see what he was looking at.

Rosanna stared in shock as she saw Jimmy come out of the woods, followed by Rick and Hershel, each holding a walker on the end of a ketch pole. "What the fuck?" she and Daryl said at the same time, and they looked at each other in surprise before following the others, who started running towards Rick and Hershel, all with looks of disbelief.

"What the hell are you doin?" Shane shouted, echoing Rosanna's thoughts. She came to a stop beside Beth and Patricia, drawing her swords and standing protectively in front of them as the walkers raged and growled at them.

"Stay back," she told the pair as they grabbed each other and held on tightly.

"Why do your people have guns?" Hershel asked, making Rosanna shake her head at the naive man.

"What's going to happen?" Beth asked quietly, sounding frightened.

"Don't worry, I won't let the walkers near you, Beth," Rosanna said, forcing the young woman and Patricia to step further away from the group.

Rick and Shane started to argue, then Shane pulled out his handgun. "These things ain't sick. They're not people! Let me ask you something, Hershel, can a living, breathing person walk away from this?" He aimed and fired three shots into the female walker Hershel held. Rosanna could see the shock on Hershel's face as the walker merely started growling louder and began reaching for Shane. Shane fired a few more bullets into the walker. "Why is it still coming?"

"Enough, Shane!" Rick yelled.

"Damn right it's enough," Shane answered and walked up to the walker, shooting her in the middle of the forehead. Hershel sank to his knees, Maggie coming to stand protectively behind him.

Patricia grabbed Rosanna's arm as Shane started yelling. "Enough looking for a dead little girl!" Rosanna ignored him and tried to comfort Beth and Patricia. She watched in shock as Shane began beating down the door of the barn. They could all hear the walkers growling. Then the wood of the door snapped and opened wide.

T-Dog and Andrea rushed to stand beside Shane as he aimed his gun at the walkers emerging from the barn. Daryl was right behind them, aiming and shooting efficiently. Rosanna remembered Beth's mother was in the barn and she turned quickly to the girl. "Don't look, honey." She pushed Beth into Jimmy's arms and motioned for them to stand back. Lori and Carl were right beside them, looking on in disbelief. Glenn looked at Maggie, who nodded once at him as he went to stand with the others.

Rosanna, seeing that no walkers would come close, sheathed her swords and threw her arms around Beth, making sure the girl couldn't see what was going on. Beth lifted her head just as a woman came out of the barn. "Mom!" Beth cried.

"Don't look!" Rosanna urged again, but Beth started sobbing as her mother went down with a gunshot.

Within moments, every walker was on the ground. Rosanna held Beth, with Jimmy and Patricia in a four-way embrace. She stared at the others, all frozen, looking at the barn door. Everything was silent for a long moment. Rosanna looked over at Hershel, still on the ground looking stunned, while Maggie sobbed and held her father. She was about to go to them when a moaning came from the barn.

Rosanna watched in horror as a girl came stumbling into the sunlight. She wore cargo pants and a dirty T-shirt with a rainbow on it. Her hair was chin length, just brushing over a walker bite on her neck. "My God," Rosanna murmured as she realized it was the walker child she had seen in the woods.

"Sophia!" she heard Carol scream as the woman ran past her, only to be caught by Daryl. "Sophia!" Carol began to sob.

"No," Rosanna whispered, realizing the little girl was Carol's missing daughter. The others all stared, in shock, completely silent. The only sounds were Sophia's growling and her mother's desperate sobbing. Daryl held the woman back gently, surprising Rosanna through her trepidation. Walker Sophia came closer to the group, but no one attempted to shoot her. It wasn't for several long moments before Rick walked slowly up to the girl, aiming at her with his gun. After a moment more, he took the shot and the little girl fell to the ground. Carol sobbed louder as Daryl held her in his arms, holding her close and murmuring soothing noises.

"Oh God, Oh God," Rosanna moaned quietly, in shock from the absolute horror of the situation. She clutched Beth tighter as the young woman began to sob again, with her and Carol's cries of pain becoming a symphony of devastation. Rick stared around the group, looking as if he was making sure everyone was all right.

"Don't look," Daryl was telling Carol. He lifted her from the ground and pushed her towards the farmhouse. Carol ran, sobbing the whole way. The only sound left was Beth's high pitched cries as the others stared at each other or at Sophia's body. Rosanna looked over at Hershel, who kneeled on the ground with his hands over his mouth, staring at the little girl.

Suddenly Beth broke free of the arms around her and ran towards the dead body of her mother. Rick tried to stop her but she pushed him away. She pulled the body off of the woman and knelt beside her, pulling her head into her lap. Beth screamed as her mother suddenly jerked up, growling and trying to grab Beth. The others jumped into motion and tried to pull her away. Rosanna gasped and rushed to Beth's aid, drawing a single sword. She ran the blade through Annette's forehead just as T-Dog pulled her off her daughter.

Beth's tear filled eyes were filled with terror as she stared at Rosanna. The pity Rosanna felt for the poor young woman overwhelmed her, and Rosanna's own eyes filled with tears as she turned away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

Rosanna quickly walked away from the others, collapsing in the middle of the driveway. She drew her knees to her chest and tried to calm her breathing as the others argued and shouted. She looked up to see Jimmy, Patricia, and Hershel walking past, holding a sobbing Beth while Maggie and Shane argued. Closing her eyes to shut out the pathetic sight, Rosanna dropped her head to her knees and focused on breathing in and out. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Daryl standing beside her.

"You okay?" he asked tentatively.

She shook her head. "I've seen some horrible things since all hell broke loose, but this was one of the worst. That poor girl! And Hershel, did you see his face?"

Daryl chewed on his lip for a moment before sitting next to her. "I saw. But Rosanna, those weren't people like Hershel thought. Those were walkers. Shane was right to do what he did."

Rosanna nodded, swallowing back the bile that threatened to choke her. "I know. I know. It was just so hard to watch. To Hershel and Beth, those were their family and friends. They must feel like they were killed in cold blood."

"Wasn't like that."

"I know what it was like, Daryl!" Rosanna said a little bit angrily. "I was there. You were focused on shooting the walkers, you didn't see how Hershel and his family reacted. I think . . . I think Hershel finally saw what his wife had turned into, when she attacked Beth. I think he knows he was wrong not to kill them before. Beth should have been grieving for her mother when she first died, not like this."

To her surprise, Daryl nodded. "You're right. This is all pretty fucked up. Wonder what's going to happen now."

Rosanna snorted. "I bet Hershel kicks us all out tonight. Why wouldn't he? His rules were broken, and all he asked was that no one carry guns and everyone stay away from the barn."

"He might. Might not. Rick will talk to him."

"What was Rick doing anyway, bringing those walkers here with Hershel?"

Daryl shrugged. "Dunno. Anyway, come on. We need to find out what's going to happen." He stood up and held out a hand. Rosanna took it and allowed him to pull her up. She dusted herself off and followed him up to the house, where Rick and Shane stood arguing.

"You had us out in the woods looking for a little girl that every single one of us knew was dead!" Shane shouted.

Rosanna touched Daryl's arm. "You know what? I can't deal with this right now so I'm going to go check on Carol." Daryl nodded his assent.

"I ain't gettin' in the middle of that, either," he answered. Both of them walked toward the camp, finding Carol sitting silently in the RV. She glanced at them as they came in, but went back to looking out of the window. No one said anything for a long moment.

"Carol . . ." Rosanna began, but Carol lifted a hand.

"All this time . . . I kept telling myself she wasn't hungry. She wasn't crying herself to sleep. And I was right. She was dead already. She wasn't hungry, or sad. She was dead."

"I don't have anything to say that can make you feel better," Rosanna said softly, laying her hand on Carol's shoulder. "All I can say is that I'm here if you need to talk." She nodded at Daryl. " _We're_ here."

Carol patted her hand. "I know. I know. I can't . . . I don't want to talk about it now."

"Should we leave you alone?" Daryl asked, his voice kinder than Rosanna had ever heard.

Carol nodded and looked back out the window. Rosanna squeezed her shoulder and on impulse, leaned down to kiss the top of Carol's head. Together, she and Daryl left the RV. Rosanna turned to Daryl and started to say something but he shook his head. "I'm . . . I'm going to . . ." But he didn't finish, looked at his feet, and just walked away. Rosanna watched him go, sighed, and headed towards the barn with the intent to help dig graves for the dead.

Sophia's body had been covered with a blanket, but the other bodies still lay scattered around. Rosanna noticed some of the group in the distance, digging graves, while Andrea, T-Dog, Rick, and Dale began loading a blue truck with bodies. Rosanna walked up in the middle of a discussion on whether or not Hershel was going to let them stay. She hung back until they stopped talking, then went up to Rick. "How can I help?"

Rick ran a hand through his hair and motioned silently towards the bodies still on the ground. Rosanna went to help T-Dog load them up. She could have carried a body alone, but forced herself to assist T-Dog. "This is so sick," he said after the final body was loaded in the back of the truck. Rosanna looked at him, not knowing what he meant.

"Sophia," he said finally.

Rosanna nodded. "It's terrible. I feel responsible somehow, like if we had told, things would be different."

"She was already dead, there was nothing we could do, Rose."

Rosanna stared at him. "Rose?"

He shrugged. "You need a nickname. Why not Rose?"

She shook her head. "Like T-Dog? What's your real name anyway?"

He gave her a funny look and quirked his lips into a half smile. "Theodore Douglas." With that, he got in the truck and started the engine. Andrea jumped onto the back and they took off, leaving Rosanna alone.

*A Few Hours Later*

The graves had been dug, and everyone except Carol had attended the short service for the dead. Rosanna had taken a walk around the farm's immediate perimeter only to get back to a house in chaos. Lori rushed up to her the moment she walked in the door. "Have you seen Hershel?"

Rosanna shook her head. "No, why?"

"Beth collapsed."

Rosanna followed Lori up to Beth's room, where Maggie sat on the bed talking to Beth, who lay in a stupor with her eyes open. Glenn stood on the opposite side of the room, his arms folded across his chest. "What the hell happened?" Rosanna asked, coming closer to lay a hand on Beth's feverish forehead.

"I don't know," Maggie cried. "Glenn and I were talking and Beth was doing dishes when she just fell over!"

"Is she in shock, maybe?" Rosanna smoothed the girls blonde hair away from her face. She had grown fond of Beth in just a short time, the feeling of concern almost overwhelmed her. "Where's Hershel? Lori said he's gone."

"I don't know. He took a car and left," Maggie answered, gripping her sister's hand.

Lori left the room abruptly. It wasn't long before Rosanna heard Shane and Rick in the house, talking to Lori quietly. They went into Hershel's room. Maggie glanced at Rosanna and then Glenn. Both of them followed Maggie down the hallway. Rick, Lori, and Shane were inside Hershel's room talking. There were boxes filled with a woman's clothes on the bed.

"What's going on?" Rosanna asked.

"We're wondering where Hershel went," Shane answered, the first time he had spoken to her without any animosity.

"Are these your stepmother's things?" Rick asked Maggie, motioning towards the boxes.

"Yes. I think Dad was thinking there'd be a cure, and he and Annette would just continue where they left off."

Rosanna put a hand on Maggie's arm. The younger woman reached out and grasped Rosanna's hand gratefully. Shane picked up a flask from the dresser. "I think Hershel's found an old friend."

"Didn't take Hershel for a drinker," Rick said solemnly.

"He's not," Maggie said. "He quit the day I was born. He wouldn't even have liquor in the house."

"I'm not surprised," Rosanna said. "It's hard for an alcoholic to quit. I'm sure he didn't want to be tempted." She smiled weakly at Maggie. "I think it's awesome he quit when you were born. I can tell you girls mean a lot to him." Maggie smiled back.

"Where's the bar in town?" Rick asked, making both women look over at him.

"It's called Hatlin's," Maggie answered. "Dad practically lived there in his drinking days."

"That's where I'll find him," Rick said. Lori stared at him with worry in her eyes.

"I'll take you," Glenn said.

"No," Maggie countered.

"It'll be an easy run."

"Like the pharmacy?" Maggie almost snarled. Rosanna noticed Lori give Maggie a sheepish look.

"Maggie, I'll bring him back," Rick said, striding out of the room with Lori in tow. Rosanna followed them. Rick turned back to her.

"I'd appreciate it if you told the others where we went, and help hold down the fort while we're gone."

Rosanna nodded. "Of course." She went back into the room to sit next to Beth as Lori and Rick started arguing. "Always with the arguments," Rosanna said, reaching out to hold Beth's hand. Beth stared sightlessly up at the ceiling. "Beth, you need to come back. We need you to come back. I'm so sorry, what happened with your mom." She stroked Beth's hand gently, noting the sounds of someone moving in the hallway, and a particular woodsy smell she couldn't place. "You're so lucky though. You had so many years with your mom. I was six when my mom died. She had breast cancer. I remember some things, though. I had a picture of her on my nightstand that my dad gave to me after she died. I wish I still had that picture. She was so beautiful."

Rosanna sighed and closed her tear filled eyes. "I remember she used to brush my hair before school, and I remember her chocolate chip pancakes. She took me to the library and we read stories for hours. But when she got sick . . . well, Dad told me she did one round of chemo and it didn't help. It made her worse, so she refused the second round. She lost all her hair . . ." Rosanna cleared the frog in her throat. "She told me I needed to grow my hair for both of us. That's why my hair's so long. I never cut it after that, just a trim once in a while. I remember thinking as a little girl that I'd share my hair with Mom. We had the same color hair, the same blue eyes." She paused, glancing away for a moment.

"I always thought Mom would get better, but she died in her sleep. I went to her to wake her up to brush my hair for school, and she wouldn't wake up. I remember she looked so peaceful, though. She was smiling, like Death was a friend, not something to be afraid of."

Someone cleared their throat and Rosanna looked up to see Daryl standing in the hallway, looking at her curiously. "How . . . how much did you hear?" she asked, startled that she hadn't paid attention to his presence.

"Most of it. Sorry, I was just checking on the girl," he said, moving away from the door. Rosanna wiped away her tears and followed him.

"It's okay Daryl," she told him gently. "I'm not ashamed of my mom."

"No, you shouldn't be," he said quickly before clearing his throat. "How's the girl?"

"I think Beth is in shock. We need Hershel." She put her hands to her mouth. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Rick told me to tell everyone he went to town to look for him. With Glenn."

Daryl shrugged, and without another word, walked down the stairs and out the door. Maggie came up the stairs just as he left. "What's his problem?" she asked, holding out a mug of tea to Rosanna.

"I don't know, I was talking to Beth and he was listening. I didn't say anything I didn't want him to hear," Rosanna answered, gratefully taking the tea and taking a sip. "Mmm, chamomile and honey. You know, I love me some coffee, but there's something about tea that just makes me feel so much better when something is wrong."

"Me too," Maggie smiled sadly, going into the room with her sister.

Rosanna took her mug downstairs to find Lori in the living room, her head in her hands.

"Lori?" she asked tentatively. Lori looked up, her eyes red.

"I'm sorry," the older woman said, wiping her eyes.

"Nothing to be sorry for," said Rosanna. "I know you're worried about Rick and Glenn."

"It's not just that, it's . . ."

"What?"

"Rosanna, if I told you something, would you keep it secret? Until . . . until I'm ready to tell everyone."

"Of course," Rosanna answered, sitting next to Lori on the couch.

"Rosanna, I'm pregnant."

There was nothing Rosanna could say. All she could do was stare for a very long time. "Wait, _what_?"

"I'm pregnant. I . . ."

"How?"

"Well," Lori began, looking surprised. "I had sex with . . ."

"No, no I know how that works," Rosanna said, setting her mug on the coffee table. "That's not what I meant. I'm sorry. I'm just a bit shocked."

"It wasn't like I planned it," Lori said defensively.

"I just don't understand how you could be so stupid!" Rosanna blurted out.

Lori glared at her. "My God, I don't mean that!" Rosanna amended. "It's not something you can plan, not anymore. I'm so sorry, Lori."

Lori buried her face in her hands again. "No. I know it's stupid. Dangerous. I asked Glenn to get me the day after pills and I took them, but I threw them up."

"Oh." Rosanna took in a deep breath. "So you want this baby?"

"Yes. No. I don't know." She paused and took a breath. "That's why we can't leave the farm. I need Hershel. I had Carl by C-section. I was told I can't have another child unless it's by C-section."

"Fuck me," Rosanna said, understanding what Lori was telling her. "How can that be possible now, though? Shit, Lori, I'm sorry for cussing. I don't, usually. But this is . . . this is horrible."

"I know. I know," Lori cried. "And yet Rick just runs off to solve everyone's problems . . ."

"Lori, honey, he's just trying to keep you alive," Rosanna said, patting her thigh. "Hershel's gone. You need Hershel. He's the only one of us with an inkling of what to do. I mean, I've been there when cats and dogs have given birth but I wouldn't know the first thing to do with a human baby. And a C-section? Way beyond my understanding."

"I know. I know," Lori repeated. "I'm just screwing everything up, aren't I? My son needs me, and here I am putting my life at a very real risk."

"Lori. Your choice was made when you threw up the pills. Just . . . just believe that everything happens for a reason. You're here now. Your son has you, if . . . if you were to die, understand that Rick and I and the others would all risk our lives to keep him safe. You don't have to have that burden." To her surprise, what Rosanna said to comfort the woman was also true. She had affection for all of them, except Shane and Andrea, and she would do anything for these people who had welcomed her so wholeheartedly.

"I'm afraid, Rosanna."

On impulse, Rosanna hugged Lori tightly. "I can't say you shouldn't be, or there's no reason to be afraid. But I can tell you that I'll keep your secret, and I'll help you in any way possible. And I'll watch out for Carl, no matter what. I promise."

Lori hugged her back. "Thank you, it was so nice getting all this off my chest."

Rosanna looked at her wistfully. "I . . . well, I'd like to think we're friends. I never had many friends, ever. I think . . . I think I was supposed to find you all. I think whatever deity is out there saw that I needed friends . . . and a family."

"We are definitely friends," Lori answered, patting Rosanna's head. "Definitely. And thank you so much."

Rosanna smiled weakly and watched Lori go outside. She chugged the rest of her tea and leaned back on the couch, shaking her head sadly. "Damn this world," she whispered before going back up to sit with Maggie and Beth.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

It was dark, and Rick and Glenn weren't back yet. Rosanna was downstairs with most of the group, who were setting the table for dinner. Maggie was still upstairs with an unresponsive Beth. They all sat at the table as Shane took the spot at the end, serving himself green beans and eyeing Carl.

"Carl, I don't want you worried about your dad," Shane said. "He's a tough son of a . . ."

"No cussin' in the house!" Patricia snapped, giving Shane a look.

"Sorry," he mumbled, shoving beans into his mouth.

Maggie came downstairs and seated herself beside Glenn. Carol went to the stairs and called Lori down for dinner but Maggie shook her head. "She's not in there."

"Well, where is she?" Shane asked, chewing slowly. No one answered. "Carl, when's the last time you saw your mom?"

"This afternoon," Carl answered slowly.

"She told me to look in on Carl," Andrea put in, looking stricken.

"Did she leave?" Dale asked.

Andrea shook her head. "She didn't say that," she answered as Shane stood up abruptly.

"We'll all look," Shane said, staring at each person in turn, including Rosanna. "She's got to be around here somewhere."

Rosanna rose with the others as they scattered around looking for Lori. She decided to check outside and picked up her swords from their place on the back of her pack as she passed the front door. The air was balmy and rich with the scent of grass and soil. She meandered around the chicken coop and now empty barn before heading out into the pasture, wondering if Lori had simply gone on a walk to dispel her anxiety over Rick and the coming baby. It didn't seem likely, but the others had chosen to look around the house and the camp, so Rosanna went further out. She found herself coming up on Daryl's camp, far out on the edge of the pasture.

Ducking underneath a string of squirrel furs, Rosanna noticed Daryl sitting in front of a campfire looking sullen as usual. He jumped up, knife out, as she approached him. "Oh, it's just you," he said, sitting back down with a frown.

"Yep, just me," Rosanna said, watching him for a moment before moving to sit across from him. "Why weren't you at dinner?"

"Had my own," he answered shortly.

"Squirrel, I'm betting?"

He eyed her. "Yup."

They sat silently for a moment. "Why do you do this?" Rosanna finally asked.

"Do what?"

"This. Stay away from everyone. Live so far out here, no one can come help you if you need it. Pretend like you're all alone."

"I _am_ all alone," Daryl answered, tossing another log onto the fire.

"You're with a _group._ One that obviously cares about you. Yet I always see you on the outskirts. You hardly ever talk to anyone."

"How is that your business?" he snarled.

Rosanna shrugged. "It isn't. I'm just stating a fact." She chewed on her lip for a moment. "I guess I just don't understand you."

"You told me you'd rather be by yourself," he accused. "No one to mourn."

"Yes. But . . . I think I may be reassessing my opinion."

"The hell does that mean?"

She stared at the fire, contemplating. "I guess I am realizing that being around people, _decent_ people, is starting to change my mind about being alone."

"Caring ain't gonna get you nowhere," he spat. "Didn't get anywhere with Sophia, now did it?"

"You care about Carol, or you wouldn't have looked for Sophia, or comforted her when Sophia died," Rosanna observed. She felt a slight, very surprising pang of jealousy at her own statement, remembering the way his strong arms held Carol.

"You don't know nothin'!" Daryl almost shouted.

"I know you're being a childish ass!" Rosanna yelled back. She winced, looking around to see if any walkers had heard. "These are _your_ people, and you act like you don't care anything about them!" she said in a much quieter tone.

"Like I said, girl, you don't know shit! You're just like the others, always worried about this one or that one! Just like that dumb bitch earlier, wanting me to go look for Rick!"

"What do you mean?" Rosanna asked, standing up.

"I told her I ain't no errand boy," Daryl continued, poking the fire vigorously.

"You mean Lori? She's missing. Do you know where she is?"

"She came by earlier, wanted me to go into town but I told her no."

"Shit!" Rosanna spat. "That must be where she went!" She took a step toward the house, but turned back to Daryl. "How long ago was this?"

He shrugged, unconcerned. "Late afternoon. Don't care. Now get the fuck out of here, you dumb bitch!" He turned his back to her.

"You'll care if something happened to her, Daryl!" Rosanna snarled, turning and running towards the house, uncaring at the moment if he saw her run too fast. She slowed down as she noticed Dale, Carl, and Andrea beside the RV talking. Shane and T-Dog were running up to them.

"She's not in the yard or in the outbuildings," Shane said as Rosanna ran up.

"Lori asked Daryl to go to town," she told him, watching his eyes grow wide. "He refused, so she must have gone herself. He said she asked him around late afternoon."

Carl started to cry, and Andrea put an arm around him but he pushed her away and ran into the house. Shane approached Dale. "Did you know about this?"

Dale shook his head. "No."

"Did she take a gun?" Shane asked.

"I don't know," the older man said, shaking his head. Shane glared at him.

"Look, this is no one's fault," Rosanna cut in. "Let's assume Lori went to town. Hershel and Maggie say there's only one road there. So the question is, do we look for her, or do we wait for all of them to get back?"

Shane rubbed his hand over his bald head and groaned. "I'm going." He pointed at Rosanna. "You make sure no one else leaves the farm."

"I'm not . . ." Rosanna began, but Shane turned and got into Maggie's SUV without saying another word. He drove off, leaving a cloud of dust behind. Dale and Andrea turned and slowly went into the house. Rosanna sighed deeply and shaking her head, went to sit on the porch. She pulled a pack of cigarettes from her back pocket and lit one, sitting down on a wicker chair tiredly. Taking a few drags, she surveyed the premises and sighed again just as a faint woodsy scent filled her nostrils.

"Got another one of those?" Daryl asked as he came up the stairs.

"Maybe. But I'm a dumb bitch remember? Dumb bitches don't share."

He looked down at the ground, then back up at her. "Look, I'm sorry 'bout what I said. I know what you were sayin' is true. I need to quit bein' such an ass."

Rosanna giggled a little and tossed him a cigarette and lighter. "Apology accepted."

"So what's goin' on with Lori?" he asked as he took a drag and leaned on the porch rail across from her.

"Shane went looking for her," Rosanna said.

"They've all been gone a long time," Daryl pointed out. "Somethin's wrong."

"I think so too," she admitted. "I feel for Carl. Both his parents are missing now. Anything could have happened."

"That kid's tough."

"He is, but he won't be if he loses both parents in one night."

Daryl nodded, fiddling with the lighter. "I cussed out Carol," he said after several long minutes.

"So I've heard."

"Didn't mean what I said to _her_ , either."

Rosanna crushed out her cigarette and threw the butt out into the yard. "Looks like you need to work on your communication skills." She glared at him, but softened almost immediately. "Carol told me about Merle."

His eyes took on a pained look. "She did, huh?"

"I'm sorry that happened to your brother, but that's no reason to shut everyone out, Daryl."

He took a long drag of his own cigarette before meeting her gaze. "Always been like this." He tossed the butt onto the ground and went down to stomp on it.

"Well change then," Rosanna said quietly. "Like I said, these people care about you. Especially Carol. She's already lost her daughter and her husband, don't make things worse by being Mr. Gigantic Asshole all the time."

"I looked for Sophia!" he said angrily. "What else do you want me to do?"

"That's up to you, Daryl," Rosanna said primly as she stood up. "Why don't you come in and get some real dinner? Just be part of the group. This is a tough time."

He looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. "Don't think so." With that, he turned and stalked off towards his tent. Rosanna sighed and went into the house to sit with the others, who were all congregated in the family room looking solemn.

"Daryl knew where Lori went?" Carol asked immediately.

Rosanna took a seat before answering. "He said she asked him to go into town. We're just assuming that's where she went." Carol looked down, shaking her head.

"I want my mom," Carl said sadly.

"I know, kiddo," Rosanna said, putting an arm around him. "Everything will be okay." The group sat in silence for what seemed like hours before Rosanna heard a car pull onto the driveway. She, along with everyone else, ran for the door and watched as Maggie's SUV came slowly up to the house. Shane got out immediately, followed by Lori, who held a rag to her bleeding forehead.

"Oh my God, are you alright?" Andrea exclaimed, running up to her. "What happened?"

"I was in an accident," Lori explained as Shane took her arm to guide her to the house. She pushed him away. "I'm fine, I'm fine." She looked at the group. "Where's Rick?"

Everyone exchanged glances in silence. Lori looked puzzled. "They're not back?" she asked quietly.

No one wanted to meet her gaze. She glared at Shane. "Where are they?"

"I had to get you back here," Shane said without regret.

Silence. Then . . . "You asshole!" Lori screamed, rushing up to Shane and hitting him on the chest.

"I'll go after them!" Shane said, holding her by the shoulders. "I had to get you back here! I had to make sure the baby's all right!"

Rosanna bit her lip as she watched the others stare at Lori in horror. Carl walked up to his mother. "You're having a baby?" he asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Lori could only stare at her son, stammering, as Shane sighed loudly and the group tried to look everywhere but at the stunned woman. No one said a word for a long moment. Dale finally stepped forward, taking Lori gently by the shoulders. "Come on," he said quickly. "Let's make sure you're alright." He and Andrea led her into the house. She glared at Shane as she passed him.

Rosanna leaned against the tree and let out a long breath. Shane turned to look at her, then looked down at his feet. "I had to get her back here," he said slowly. "She wouldn't come, otherwise."

"I'm not going to say that what you did wasn't harsh," Rosanna answered. "But you've got to know she's not going to forgive you for this. Even though you were right to bring her back."

He gave her a suspicious glance. "You think I was right?"

She still didn't like the man, but she agreed with him. "Yes. She's hurt. She needed to get back here. Carl needs her. Especially if . . ."

"If Rick doesn't come back," he finished with a small smirk.

Rosanna stared at him, watching his eyes fill with hope. She took a step back in disgust. "You don't care if Rick comes back, do you?"

He glared at her. "That's my best friend you're talking about! My brother! Of course I care."

Rosanna felt that something was definitely off. She shook her head, not wanting to harbor the new thought that was racing through her mind. _Shane wants Lori for himself._ She could tell that he knew what she was thinking, as his gaze grew hard and wary. "You're going to keep your mouth shut!" he snarled, starting towards her.

She glared back at him and drew her sword. "Come near me, and I'll kill you," she retorted. "You're a dickhead . . . a disgusting piece of work, you know that?"

He took one last glaring look at her and stomped away. Rosanna evened her breathing, sheathed her sword, and went into the house. Andrea and Dale were sitting with Carl and Lori in a room just outside Beth's bedroom. "Are you okay?" Rosanna asked as she sat across from Lori.

"I'm fine, just a little banged up," Lori answered, holding a cloth to her bleeding forehead. She turned to her son. "I'm so sorry I left without telling you."

"It's okay, Mom," Carl answered. "I wasn't scared." He looked at Rosanna, Dale, and Andrea as if he was daring them to say otherwise. When they didn't, he looked back at his mother. "I hope Dad gets back soon."

"Me too, sweetie," Lori replied, her voice shaking.

"I want to be there when you tell him about the baby," Carl said.

Lori sighed. "Honey, he already knows." She rubbed his back. "We were just waiting on the right time to tell you."

Rosanna smiled as Carl started asking questions about the baby. Was it a boy or a girl? When would he be able to feel it? Lori blew out a breath and turned to the others. "We never . . . had _the talk_." Rosanna almost giggled when she looked at Dale's stunned, uncomfortable expression. Andrea smirked and hid her mouth with a hand, appearing very amused. Carl glanced at Dale and the older man shook his head.

"Don't look at me, that's your father's job," he said quickly. Rosanna, Andrea, and Lori all laughed.

"I'll leave you to it, then," Rosanna said with a big smile, chuckling as she went to the stairs. "I'm going to go take watch, why don't you all get some rest. No sense waiting up all night."

"Wake me before dawn, I'll take over for you," Andrea said.

Rosanna nodded and went outside to sit back down in her wicker chair, contemplating Lori's situation. She didn't notice Shane glaring at her from behind the bushes that surrounded the side door of the house, and was lost in thought until the first thin strands of sunlight appeared over the horizon.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

Rosanna stood up as Andrea and Dale came out of the RV, arguing about Shane. She tuned them out as she could hear something that raised her spirits: the unmistakable sound of a vehicle coming their way. She could see Shane, along with Daryl and T-Dog, putting guns in the back of Maggie's SUV, with Andrea and Dale joining them, noticing that none of them yet heard the vehicle. Rosanna stood still, barely containing her excitement, waiting until the others noticed what was happening. She ran towards them as soon as they could see the red and white Chevy speeding down the driveway.

Seeing Rick and Hershel in the front seat, Rosanna let out a small whoop of delight that she cut short once she noticed an extra person in the truck, sitting beside Glenn. They pulled up to the front of the house, where Lori and Carl came out hand in hand, followed by the others. Rick got out and hugged first Carl, then Lori, who looked like she was going to cry. Shane strode up to the group and Rosanna noted the possessive look he gave Lori as she hugged her husband. Hershel got out of the truck and motioned at Patricia.

"Patricia, prepare the shed for surgery," he said calmly, following her into the house.

Rick and Lori were talking about her injuries when all of a sudden T-Dog raised a finger towards the truck. "Who the hell is that?" he asked, finally noticing what Rosanna had already . . . there was someone unknown in the vehicle. Everyone quieted down and stared.

"That's Randall," Glenn said quickly.

Everyone came closer, peering in at the young man, who was blindfolded and looked as if he were in a lot of pain. Rosanna could smell the blood on him. She wrinkled her nose and stood back.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Shane asked immediately. Rick looked at him soberly.

"I'll explain everything in a little bit. Right now, we need to get Randall to the shed. He's hurt."

T-Dog, Dale, Glenn, and Rick all helped pick up the boy and carry him to the shed. Rosanna stood watching them, an uncomfortable feeling in her tummy. Shane looked at Daryl and shook his head as the others went into the house. "This is ridiculous, bringing someone we don't know here to the farm," Shane spat.

Daryl was silent for a moment, then nodded towards Rosanna, who was turning to follow the other women into the house. "We let her in, and she's been okay."

"If you say so," Shane sneered at Rosanna as she walked up the steps, looking back at him with a glare.

"I do," said Daryl, startling Rosanna by following her up the stairs and walking forward to open the door for her. "I'm not saying that kid's okay though. Let's hear what Rick has to say."

She saw Shane shake his head at Daryl before she followed him into the house with a bemused expression. "So I'm okay, huh?"

He shrugged. "I guess." He quirked his lip. "A little annoying, though."

Rosanna laughed, but sobered quickly. "What do you think of this boy?"

"Won't know until we talk to Rick. Come on," he said, motioning towards the dining room, where everyone else was gathering.

Rick followed them in as they went to stand in the corner together, where they could observe without being too much in the way. He hesitated before he began to speak, telling everyone as quickly as possible what had transpired in the town. "We brought him back because he was injured. There were walkers . . . we couldn't leave him there to die."

Everyone was silent for a long minute. Then Andrea spoke. "What do we do with him?" Shane looked at Rick, opening his mouth, but Hershel walked in, interrupting whatever Shane was going to say.

"I mended his calf muscle as well as I can," he said soberly, "but there will be nerve damage. He won't be on his feet for at least a week."

"I think we give him water, a bit of food, and drive him out away from here. Just let him go," Rick said.

"He knows where we are. He has a group, what if they come looking for us?" Shane put in.

"Good point," Daryl said quietly to Rosanna. She gave him a quick nod of understanding.

"He was blindfolded the whole way here, he's not a threat," Rick answered Shane, who shook his head and crossed his arms.

"You killed their men, and now you're just going to let one of them go? They tried to kill you! They'll come looking for us for sure! Especially if that kid tells them we have food, water, medical supplies. Think about it, Rick!" Shane said angrily.

"They left him for dead! No one is looking!"

"But they might be," Rosanna ventured to say. Daryl touched her elbow with a few fingers, giving her the strength she needed to continue. "You just don't know what they'll do. We have to look at the facts. They shot at you. You killed their men. All it will take is for Randall to meet up with them, tell them about this farm, and the logical argument is that they'll want to take it for themselves. I've seen some people do horrible things for supplies since I've been out there. I'm sure you've dealt with your fair share of other groups, all wanting the same things." Daryl stepped closer to her as she spread out her hands to Rick. "I'm sorry to disagree with you, but Shane is right. What you're proposing is a major risk." She stepped back, her back almost flush with Daryl's chest.

Rick stared at her, his eyes haunted, and she regretted saying what she thought. The others stared at her either fearfully, or thoughtful, or in Dale's case, downright horrified. Shane's mouth dropped open, but then he quickly shut it and nodded in agreement.

"I see you think Rosanna should have an opinion when it matches your own, right Shane?" Rick said almost playfully, but his expression was grim.

"I'm just looking out for what's best for the group," was all Shane would say.

"We could set a guard on him," T-Dog ventured. "Until he's well."

"He's out cold right now," Hershel said quietly.

"Well damn, let me get him some flowers and candy!" Shane said loudly, walking towards the door. "Here we go, back into fantasy land!"

Hershel glared at Shane and pointed an accusing finger at him. "We still haven't dealt with what you did at my barn!" he said, his voice grave. "Let me make something perfectly clear to you once and for all. This is _my_ farm. I wanted you gone, but Rick talked me out of it. I don't have to like it, though. But that still doesn't mean I can't kick you out of here if you don't keep your mouth shut." Shane mashed his lips together and stalked away.

Rosanna pressed herself closer to Daryl, not really aware what she was doing, until he gripped her elbow and pulled her gently out the side door. "I think you need a cigarette," he said quietly, handing her one from a pack he pulled out of his vest.

"Oh God, what have I done?" Rosanna asked as she put the cigarette in her mouth. He reached over and lit it for her.

"Spoke your mind, that's what you did. And you were right, too. Shane may be a goddamn asshole, but he's right about this." Daryl lit his own cigarette and leaned on the wall next to her.

"I still shouldn't have said anything, it wasn't my place," Rosanna told him.

"Why ain't it your place?"

"This isn't my group, it isn't my problem. I'm leaving soon."

Daryl chuckled and leaned across her a little. "You keep sayin' that. But you haven't left. Why not?"

"I don't know, just with everything going on, it just hasn't seemed like the time."

"I don't think you really want to go," Daryl said, blowing a smoke ring. "You're doing what you told me not to do."

She eyed him and laughed. "You're right, you know. I really _don't_ want to leave. I just feel like I _should_."

"Why?"

"This . . . this isn't my place to be."

He glanced down at her. "Who says?"

Rosanna stared at the ground uncomfortably. "I told you before, I'm not looking to intrude."

"But you're not. You belong here. Everyone likes you, except Shane, and who the fuck cares what he thinks?" He hesitated for a moment, then raised her chin with his finger. " _You belong here._ Just . . . just like I do."

Rosanna smiled, tears filling her eyes. "I think everyone's awesome . . . except Shane." They both laughed. He dropped his hand, staring at her intensely before looking away to flick his cigarette butt onto the lawn. "We really should get a bucket for those," Rosanna murmured, her hands on her hips.

"Tell you what, I'll go look for one and you go check on the others," Daryl said as he opened the door for her. She smiled at him and went inside.

*A Few Days Later*

Rosanna sat on a rickety old chair in front of the shed door, reading a copy of _Little Women_ she borrowed from Maggie, taking her turn as Randall's guard. She had long since tuned out the young man's continued protests at his treatment and assurances he wasn't a threat. Hershel was sure Randall wouldn't attempt to escape with his leg still healing and it being a sure thing he wouldn't have full control over it when it healed anyway. The threat of infection was always present, one of the concessions Rick made with the group was that he wouldn't allow Randall the benefit of the group's meager supply of antibiotics. _If the kid lives, he'll be crippled._ Rosanna thought, turning a page of her book. _Being crippled in this world is a death sentence anyway. There's little he could offer a group in terms of helping everyone's survival. He'll always be a burden._ She put a finger in her spot and closed the book, raising her face to the balmy sunshine. _Wouldn't it be better, more humane, even, to put a bullet in his brain and end it? The kid won't survive on his own, that's for sure. But Rick and Dale are right, in a way. Killing him, not giving him a chance, would change everything for this group._

She leaned closer to the door and listened as Randall quieted down. _Sleeping._ Standing, she stretched her back and looked around the farm. Maggie was still in the house with Beth, Patricia and Hershel not too far away. Dale stood guard on the RV, as was usual. Lori and Carol were doing laundry, a seemingly never-ending chore. Glenn, Shane, T-Dog, Carl, Andrea, and Rick were at the shooting range, practicing. Jimmy was out feeding the cows. Rosanna scrunched her nose as she looked around for Daryl. _Probably hunting._ She sighed. Almost every time Daryl went out, he came back with some game. Which he did almost every day. She found herself feeling upset about that. _I'd like to go with him sometime._ Rosanna had gone on a few hunts herself, bringing back only rabbits, but she ended up being too busy to go often. She found herself being chosen to help do numerous things about the farm lately. _Just as if I were one of them._

Not that she found being busy unpleasant. It made her surprisingly happy to be asked to help, especially the fun times she and Glenn and Maggie had gathering eggs and cleaning the chicken coop. Maggie was funny and like to goof off, and made Rosanna laugh when she teased Glenn, who took it in his good natured way. It felt good to laugh, she hadn't been one to laugh much, but Maggie's antics brought out the kid in her. Glenn was quiet most of the time, but occasionally included Rosanna in his gentle teasing. Carol was calming to work with. The older woman talked to her about Sophia and her relationship with her husband Ed, which Rosanna realized was cathartic for her. So she was willing to be quiet and listen as they worked together mending clothing or doing laundry, chopping vegetables or just sitting around the dinner campfire.

Jimmy had given Rosanna his one man tent, so she had a place outside with the rest of Rick's group. It seemed that the consensus was that they were going to stay on the farm, including Rosanna, but Hershel still seemed to want a bit of separation. So she accepted the offer of the tent, and cheerfully set it up in her own little spot near Lori and Rick's tent, but not too close. She was given ample blankets and pillows from Patricia, and Carl supplied little bouquets of wildflowers to keep her sleeping space cheerful, so she was content. Lori and Rick were maintaining a cordial distance between each other, which worried Rosanna considering Lori's state of physical and emotional health, but Lori became a bit standoffish to Rosanna after their one-time personal conversation. She chose to respect Lori's wishes and never brought up any of what was said. Lori was kind and pleasant, but certainly no longer intimate.

Andrea still kept her distance, along with Shane, but Rosanna didn't care for them, either, and didn't mind. The two were often together, practicing shooting or having conversations where Shane talked a lot and Andrea nodded. Dale was mostly on the RV taking watch, but the few conversations Rosanna had with him were poignant and stimulating. He had a sense of humor underneath his opinionated exterior, and Rosanna enjoyed laughing at him or respectfully arguing about Randall's situation. T-Dog and Jimmy spent a lot of time together doing farm chores, and Rosanna had little to do with either of them, although she and T-Dog still had a friendly relationship. She had little time to visit with Beth, although she tried to make time every day to sit with her, usually after dinner so Maggie and Hershel could shower and clean up from their daily vigil of mostly staying with the young woman. Hershel almost never left Beth's side, even eating meals next to her bed.

Rick spent his time mediating within the group, small petty arguments or discussions with either Dale or Shane about Randall. Yet he still had time to discuss issues with Rosanna, often asking her opinion or assigning her tasks for the day. He was still very formal with the asking, often beginning with "This needs to be done today, will you help with . . ." And Rosanna found herself accepting his leadership, trust in his opinion growing more and more each day. He never laughed or joked around, he was always very serious and sober. She wanted to make him laugh, but never knew how, and was shy enough in his presence to hold back on teasing him.

She was fine with her new role within the group, except for Daryl.

Daryl Dixon.

She couldn't figure him out. He had moved his tent closer to the house, but still remained in the pasture. He claimed to know he was part of the group, but he had suddenly become silent. He ignored her completely, just when she thought they were making headway in their friendship. The last time they had spoken together was when he told her he would get a bucket for their cigarette butts. Since then . . . nothing. Not even a hello or good morning, even when she said it to him first. Eventually, she just backed off, although she did notice him watching her furtively on occasions they were in the same vicinity. If it were any other man, Rosanna would think he was interested in her, but Daryl was an anomaly. She learned what she could about him, however, from Carol's tales about their time at the Atlanta camp.

Rosanna leaned back in her chair and tried to concentrate on her book. She had read it before numerous times, and it was still one of her favorites. She was at the part where Amy fell into the frozen river when a shadow took away her sunlight. It was Shane, smelling just as swampy as he usually did. Rosanna stood up slowly. He stood in front of her, too close for her comfort, his arms crossed, a gun tucked into his waistband. "Did you need something?" she asked.

He chewed on his lip for a moment. "Just wondering how our _friend_ was doing."

"Sleeping, I think," Rosanna answered. "He's been quiet for a bit, and I heard snoring."

"Look," Shane began, rubbing his head, "We've gotten off on the wrong foot, I think."

"I have nothing against you," Rosanna said quickly.

"Well . . . I still want to apologize for, you know . . ."

"Being a dick?" she filled in for him, her voice sweet.

He glared for a moment. "Yes. I guess that's what I was being."

She bit her lip, wondering what this apology was really all about. She didn't trust him, not at all.

"I was hoping you'd be willing to talk to Rick," he said finally, eyeing her beadily. "About Randall."

"I already said my piece," Rosanna said slowly. "I don't think I should say more."

He huffed and crossed his arms again. "You agreed with me that Randall should be killed. For the safety of this farm."

"I did."

"So what's wrong with going to Rick and telling him you still agree Randall should die?"

She leaned back, surveying him, crossing her own arms. "I suppose it's because . . . I don't feel that's the only way anymore. To be honest, I'm not sure what's the right direction to go in this case."

Shane glared at her. "You said he should die. Are you saying you've changed your mind?"

"I'm not sure of anything at this point, Shane. I get where you're coming from, I do. But after talking to Dale . . ."

He let out a laugh and shook his head. "Of course. _Dale_."

"Well, he's right, in a way."

"Dale wants us to live like we did back before all hell broke loose, Rosanna," Shane spat. "His opinion doesn't matter!"

"And mine does?" she asked angrily. "You're just mad because I'm not agreeing with you right now!"

"Dammit, Rosanna, I'm fucking serious!" His hand grabbed at her arm and she slapped it away.

"Leave me alone, Shane!"

"Somethin' wrong, Rosanna?" Daryl asked, coming around the corner of the shed holding his crossbow.

Shane immediately stepped back. Rosanna glanced at Daryl gratefully. "No, Shane was just leaving," she said, watching as Shane glowered at her and stormed off. She let out a huff of breath and turned to Daryl. "I'm so glad you came when you did! Thank you!"

He shrugged, his gaze following Shane. "Wasn't nothin'. You okay?" He looked pointedly at her arm where the other man had grabbed her.

She nodded. "I'm fine. He was just . . . wanting me to talk to Rick. About Randall."

"The kid shouldn't be here," Daryl said slowly. "Shane's right about this."

"Don't you start on me too," Rosanna said wearily, sitting back down.

"You said . . ."

"I know what I said before, Daryl. I just don't know if I was right."

He shuffled a foot around on the ground and watched her silently for a moment. "Are you gonna talk to Rick?"

"Because Shane wants me to? Not likely. If Rick asks me, I'll tell him I don't know. That whatever he chooses will have to be all right with me."

"What if his group comes here?"

"Then I suppose we'll deal with that. It's like Dale said, there's no guarantee that someone or another group won't ever find this place anyway. They could be looking for a place to live and just come here. Randall's group is close by, or else they wouldn't have been in town." She eyed Daryl. "Why don't _you_ talk to Rick?"

He stared at her with startled eyes. "Me? Why me?"

"Because you obviously have an opinion about Randall, and you need to make it known."

Daryl shuffled his feet and stayed silent. Rosanna crossed her arms and blocked him as he tried to leave. "Why do you _always_ do that?"

"What?" he asked, looking genuinely surprised.

"This! This talking and then just walking away!"

He bit his lip. "I dunno. Guess I didn't know I was doin' it."

She huffed at him. "You do it too often for you not to notice, Daryl."

Daryl shrugged. "Guess I got nothin' else to say." With that he turned around and walked back the way he had came.

Rosanna stomped her foot in annoyance and sat back down, glaring at the shed door as Randall began his frantic pleas for help once again.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

*A Couple of Days Later*

Rosanna woke up at once when she heard footsteps approaching her tent. She opened her eyes immediately and her body tensed, but relaxed when she couldn't smell any walkers. "Hey, Rosanna," a voice whispered. "You awake?"

Realizing it was Daryl, Rosanna sat up. "I am now. What do you want?"

He hesitated for a minute, and Rosanna was debating laying back down when he finally answered. "Wondered if you wanna go hunting."

She let out her breath, somewhat disconcerted and uncertain she had heard correctly. "What?"

Daryl sighed. "I asked if you wanna go hunting." He paused. "With me."

"Why?" Rosanna asked suspiciously, unzipping the tent so she could look him in the face. She was so bewildered she forgot she was in her bra and underwear. The sight of her turned Daryl's face tomato red and he quickly looked away. Rosanna looked down. "Oh. Sorry." She covered up with the blankets, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"Just forget it," he said, putting his crossbow on his shoulder and making to leave. She leaped out of the tent, blankets and all.

"Wait! I'll go! Just let me get dressed!" Rosanna cried. She grabbed her shorts and green t-shirt off her floor and yanked them on. Next came her boots, then her belt with her revolvers and knife, then her swords. She didn't even close her tent door in her haste to catch up to him. Daryl was already out in the pasture by the time she jogged up.

"Took you long enough," he said snarkily as he eyed her up and down.

Rosanna stuck her tongue out at him as she wrapped her hair into a bun. "Why didn't you ask me last night, then I would have been ready." He didn't say anything, just kept walking. They walked into the cool of the shady trees and began following the creek.

"Saw deer shit yesterday. It was too dark to look then but thought we'd look now," he said finally.

Rosanna's mouth watered at the thought of fresh venison. After the first night's baked chicken meal, their diet consisted mainly of eggs and vegetable soup with the addition of either rabbit, squirrel, or opossum. Rosanna had donated her smoked deer meat to the group, and since it kept so well, it was used to take with them if they journeyed away from the farm. After the Hershel and the bar episode, Rick had insisted that when anyone went off the farm, for any reason, or for however long, take enough food and water to last for a day or two, in case something went wrong. She usually submitted, but in her excitement she had forgotten her pack. There was no doubt, however, that Daryl had extra rations in his bag, just in case, so she relaxed a little and followed Daryl further into the forest.

They walked in silence for a long while before Daryl stopped and knelt. "Deer scat," he said quietly, pushing a small pile of poop around with a twig. "Not too old. An hour or two, maybe."

Rosanna bent over and examined the poop, then looked around to see if she could find a trail. "There," she whispered, pointing a couple yards away where a deer hoof print showed in a bit of mud. She touched the print and the mud was still squishy and moist. "And there." She pointed to her right.

Daryl examined what she found and nodded in approval. "Let's go. Keep quiet."

She restrained from rolling her eyes, but she pulled out a revolver as Daryl put his crossbow to his shoulder, and the two followed the tracks. Sometimes he found a print, sometimes she did, and they made pretty good time until coming out from the line of trees into a small meadow. Rosanna froze, not wanting to leave the treeline in case the deer was nearby. Beside her, Daryl surveyed the land around him. He pointed silently at a bush beside them that had been stripped of its leaves. The deer had definitely been there. Rosanna nodded and they kept on, keeping to the tree line, their gazes intent on the meadow in front of them. She reached out with her senses, tasting the air with her tongue, and smiled when she smelled the distinct rangy odor of a deer not too far away. She squinted into the sunlight, and saw the doe on their left, in the middle of the meadow, eating grass.

Rosanna nudged Daryl and motioned toward the deer with her chin. He nodded at her and they both raised their weapons simultaneously. Daryl shot first, hitting the deer in the side, by its neck, and as it turned to flee Rosanna shot her in the head, dropping it instantly. "Nice shot," Daryl said approvingly.

"You hit it with a fatal blow," Rosanna answered, smiling up at him.

His lips quirked up into a half smile. "Yeah, but she woulda ran. Now we don't have to track her."

They both moved towards the deer, Daryl loading another bolt onto his crossbow and Rosanna drawing her knife. Kneeling beside the deer, Rosanna prepared to gut her, but Daryl stopped her. "I'll do it, don't wanna get you all bloodied up."

Rosanna laughed. "We're hunting, Daryl. I'm used to this, it doesn't bother me."

He shrugged and quirked his upper lip, drawing his own knife. "Ain't many women know what to do to gut a deer."

"Field dress. It's called field dressing the deer," Rosanna said with a little giggle, her eyes shining at him to let him know she was teasing.

"I know what it's called," Daryl huffed, but he was smiling as he watched her begin to cut the deer. They worked together in silence as they removed the deer's innards. When they were done, Rosanna pulled a couple of water bottles from Daryl's pack and they rinsed their hands. To her surprise, Daryl handed her his crossbow and with a grunt, lifted the deer onto his shoulders. Rosanna was secretly impressed. The deer easily weighed as much as she did, it took a lot of strength to carry one. Daryl's muscles rippled as he adjusted the carcass and took a few steps to see if it was steady.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked, lifting his crossbow as they walked slowly out of the meadow.

"Well _I_ can't carry it!" he snapped, frowning until he noticed her teasing smile.

"I'd like to learn to shoot it, actually," Rosanna admitted, running her hands over it. "Not right now!" she added as he looked down at her, surprise in his gaze.

He hefted the deer more solidly onto his shoulders and nodded. "I don't mind teachin' ya. Later."

They walked on in silence for a while, Rosanna matching her pace to his. "What did you do before?" she asked him finally. She was surprised to see the fleeting look of regret on his face, followed by hesitation. "You don't have to tell me," she said, "I'm not trying to pry. Just trying for some conversation. You don't talk much."

"'S alright," he almost mumbled. "Didn't do anything. Merle and I . . . we just stayed wherever we could. Drifters."

"Oh. So . . . you were homeless?"

"Not _homeless_ , really. We stayed places. Never on the street. Had to camp in the woods some." He made a face. "Merle . . . he dealt drugs and all that bullshit. Meth. 'S how we got our money." Daryl looked down at her with an almost pleading look that turned sulky. "Nothin' _you_ would know anything about."

Rosanna patted his arm. "I'm not judging you, Daryl. You did what you did. Now you're here. You're a different person."

"You don't know that."

"Carol thinks so. She told me how you and Merle were, in the beginning."

"That right? And how'd she say we were?" he asked grumpily.

Rosanna laughed. "According to her, you were assholes."

Daryl shrugged, then readjusted the deer. "Maybe."

"Well I don't think you're an asshole now," Rosanna said. "Except when you ignore me, or just walk away when we're talking. Or when you call me a bitch."

He looked down at her, his expression unreadable. "Sorry." They walked on a little more before he cleared his throat. "What'd you do? Before?"

"I was a receptionist at a vet clinic," she answered, and told him what she had already told T-Dog about her life.

"Sorry 'bout your pop."

Rosanna pushed a branch out of her way and held it so Daryl could pass through. "I'm not. This world isn't for him." She let the branch fall back into place. "What about _your_ parents?"

Daryl snorted. "They're both dead. Years ago."

"Sorry."

He snorted again. "Don't be. My pop was a dick and my mom was . . ." He broke off, gritting his teeth.

"It's okay, Daryl, you don't have to tell me. We can talk about something else." She furrowed her brow. "How'd you learn to hunt and track?"

He was silent for a long moment. "Merle went into the military for a few years. I spent my time hunting to get out of the house. Then when Merle came back, and we were drifting, I hunted for our food."

"You're really good at it. As good as my dad was," Rosanna said softly.

"Thanks, I guess."

"Actually, that's high praise coming from me," she laughed. His lips twitched.

"You ain't so bad yourself."

"Why thank you kind sir!" Rosanna said in a singsong Southern Belle voice. "Your compliment is surely appreciated." She dipped into a little curtsy, smiling at the laughter in his eyes.

"Quit foolin' around," Daryl told her, gripping the deer tighter. Rosanna giggled and turned up the path to Hershel's farm as they made their way into the pasture.

Dale saluted them as they passed by, a smile on his face. "Hello there, returning hunters!" he exclaimed, nodding at them happily, and looked at the rest of the group who was sitting outside doing various chores. "Venison steaks for dinner, ladies and gentlemen!" T-Dog, Jimmy, and Carl cheered.

Rosanna smiled back at him as Carl, Lori, and Carol came up to them, exclaiming over the deer. Daryl set the deer on the ground by the tree and went to find rope so he could hang and skin it. "I can't believe Daryl carried that all the way here!" Lori said, poking at the deer with her toe.

"He's really strong," Carol said, looking at Rosanna with a strange expression.

"I want to go hunting with you guys!" Carl said exuberantly, a huge grin on his face.

"I'll take you someday soon," Rosanna answered, ruffling his hair. She saw the worried look on Lori's face and amended "When you're a little bigger, and a better shot with that gun."

Carl tipped his hat back and ran to his father, who had just come out of the house with Hershel. "Dad, Dad look!" he shouted joyfully. "Rose and Daryl got a deer!"

Hershel smiled weakly at Rosanna, his eyes still full of sadness over Beth. "Some venison sure does sound good." Rosanna slid beside him and laid a hand on his arm.

"How is she?"

He licked his dry lips. "She's aware now. Still not talking. But she's not staring into space anymore."

"Will she . . . get better?" Rosanna asked as he patted her hand.

"I believe so, with care and tenderness," the older man answered.

"Thank God," she said, smiling with tears in her eyes.

"God is surely looking down on my Beth," Hershel stated, his weary gaze on the house.

Daryl walked up just then with a length of rope. Rosanna squeezed Hershel's arm and went to help tie the deer up into the tree. The others went back to their chores as Daryl and Rosanna worked to skin and butcher the deer. By the time they were done, it was late afternoon. Rosanna gave a load of steaks over to Lori and Carol to cook over the campfire, while Andrea took over Dale's watch. Dale came to sit by the fire and started a conversation with T-Dog. Glenn and Maggie emerged from the house to come sit holding hands next to the fire, with Glenn joking about roasting marshmallows. Rick sat cleaning his gun as Carl watched. Jimmy stood on the porch, watching everyone as Patricia sat on a chair next to him, fanning herself as it was a warm night. Hershel was with Beth in the house, talking quietly to her. Daryl sat to one side, cleaning his fingernails with his knife. Shane, she supposed, was keeping watch on Randall.

Rosanna stood back and looked at each person in turn, letting out a little sigh of contentment. She had been alone for so long. Now she considered each person as part of her family, even Shane. She considered families in general and came to the conclusion that there was always one person in the family that was just a complete ass, and the rest of the family just had to deal with it. She disliked him, but she would fight to save his life if need be. Rosanna only hoped he'd do the same for her. Shane had spoken to her several times in the past couple of days, with no hint of malice over their previous argument over Randall. He still smelled bad to her though, and she would never fully trust him.

She smiled as she thought of her day with Daryl, only hoping that he would continue to be as friendly and not shut her out like he had previously. To her, Daryl was a good guy with a messed up past, a bit serious but with a sense of humor that hadn't been able to blossom due to his upbringing and his relationship with his controlling older brother. Rosanna cringed as she remembered some of the things Carol had told her about how Merle had treated Daryl, and was secretly glad the horrible man had been left in Atlanta. Daryl must have felt her observing him, because he looked up and gave her a small smile. Rosanna smiled back, inhaling the delicious smell of cooking venison.

"Thank you, Rosanna and Daryl, for the venison," Dale said happily as he received his plate from Carol. Daryl and Rosanna nodded at him in return as everyone else took up their plates and started to eat. Rosanna offered to take a plate to Andrea, as she was still on watch. Carol handed her a plate with a steak, baked potato cooked in the ashes of the fire, and some grilled summer squash. Rosanna approached the RV, calling out to Andrea, who left her gun on the top and climbed down to get her food.

"Thanks," Andrea said, inhaling the delicious smells. "This looks really good."

"No problem," Rosanna said, turning to go.

"Wait," Andrea told her. "I wanted to say something to you." Her serious demeanor made Rosanna think she might not like what Andrea had to say. Andrea took a breath and looked Rosanna right in the eyes. "I wanted to apologize. I've been kind of a bitch to you, and I wanted to tell you I don't mean to be. I hope we can start out on the right foot from now on." She smiled. "You're family now, part of the group. You contribute so much. So I guess I want to say both I'm sorry and thank you."

"Wow." Rosanna felt a bit shocked, but pleased. "Of course I forgive you, Andrea. I was being a bitch too, when we first met, and I'm sorry too. I'd like us to be friends . . . well, _family_ like you say we are. And I'm glad to do what I can to help." Andrea smiled.

"I'd like to get to know you better," she said. "But I've got to get back up there and keep watch. Maybe tomorrow we can hang out some."

"Sure, that would be great," Rosanna said, smiling back and waving as Andrea carefully climbed the ladder, her plate in one hand. She made her way back to the campfire and accepted her own plate from Carol. Sitting companionably next to Daryl, Rosanna beamed at the fire, happy to be included.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

"This is a flight groove, and this is the riser," Daryl was explaining to Rosanna as she held his crossbow. The two were behind the barn. Daryl and T-Dog had set up some bales of hay in one of the pastures, spray painted with targets, in preparation for Daryl to teach Rosanna how to shoot the crossbow.

"Flight groove. Riser," Rosanna said, repeating all the other parts he had taught her that morning, pointing to each part in turn.

"Right," said Daryl, nodding at her. "You ready? Remember how to cock the bow?"

"I think so."

"Then do it," he jutted his chin at the arrows he had laid out on a bale of hay next to her.

Rosanna bit her lip and gingerly placed the bolt into the crossbow, cocking it like Daryl had showed her.

"Good, now use the sight just like a gun," Daryl instructed. Rosanna obeyed. "Now release the safety, take a deep breath, and pull the trigger."

She pulled the trigger and yipped in excitement when the arrow found its mark. Daryl whistled. "Damn, beginner's luck!" Rosanna grinned at him and he grinned back.

"It's really very similar to shooting a gun," she said, smiling.

"Told ya." He slapped her lightly on the back. "Do it again."

Rosanna hit the target accurately with the next five shots. She was ready to shoot another one when T-Dog came around the barn. "Hey, Rick wants us all in the house for a meeting."

Rosanna sighed. "Really? Now?" She tucked the strands of hair that had escaped from her braid behind her ears. "I was having fun!"

Daryl took his crossbow gently from her and gathered up his arrows. "Is it about that kid?"

"I think so," T-Dog answered grimly.

Rosanna fell into step in the middle of the two men as they walked up to the house. The others were already there, except for Hershel, who was sitting with Beth. T-Dog took a seat on the couch while Rosanna and Daryl stood in the corner. Rick surveyed them all solemnly. "Randall's leg has healed enough to where we can let him go," he said finally.

"So is that what we're going to do?" asked Andrea, who said stiffly between Carol and Dale.

"That's why I wanted you all in here," Rick said. "I wanted to know what you all think."

"Well, you know what _I_ think," Shane snapped from his perch on Hershel's recliner. "We should have killed that kid already. Hell, you shouldn't have brought him here in the first place."

"We're not discussing what should have been done, that's in the past," Lori cut in, her eyes flashing. "We're discussing where to go from here." Shane glared at her, his gaze hinting at possession. Rosanna shivered as Lori and Shane stared each other down. Shane was the first to look away.

"Letting that kid loose is a bad idea," Shane continued. "For many reasons."

"Does anyone agree with Shane? Do you think Randall should be killed? Raise your hands if you agree." Rick asked the group.

Andrea raised her hand immediately, along with Shane and Daryl. T-Dog raised his hand slowly, as did Glenn. Maggie glared at him for a moment before turning to Rick. "What other choices do we have?"

Rick shuffled his feet. "We can either let him stay, or drive him far away and let him go."

"He hasn't shown that he harbors any ill will towards us," Dale said, looking around at everyone.

"He's also been handcuffed and kept in the shed, so how would he show us how he truly feels?" Patricia surprised everyone by speaking up. "We don't know anything about him besides the fact that he shot at Hershel, Glenn and Rick, and that he's part of a group we don't want any part of."

"Good point," Carol said seriously.

"Hershel did save his life . . ." Dale put in.

No one said anything, and Rosanna sighed and stepped forward. "These are the facts we have to think about, everyone. We can choose to let him stay. If we do, we have to remember that he comes from a group of people we don't want here, like Patricia said. That group may have influenced him, and we have no way to know whether he would run away from us and back to them, or if they've made him into the type of person we don't want in our group. We also have no way of knowing whether or not he'd bring that group here for revenge. You _did_ kill members of his group. On the other hand, like Dale said, we saved his life by bringing him here. He may be grateful. He may not have really liked being in a violent group. But that doesn't change the hard fact that he will be a burden. He's not going to be able to go on runs, or help with much around the farm if Hershel is right and his leg is lame. He'll be a burden on whatever group takes him. Are we willing to take on someone who is going to be a liability?"

The others began whispering amongst themselves as Rosanna stood back. Maggie leaned forward. "Rosanna's right. If we choose to let him go, we have no way of knowing if he'll bring the others back. We don't know what kind of weapons they have, or how many of them there are. What if they come back and fight us for this place?"

"This is a human life we're talking about here!" Dale cried. "Why did you save him, if you're just going to kill him? We _don't_ know what's going through Randall's head, you're right. But that's no reason to kill him!"

"We have to choose what's best for _us_ ," Carol said softly. "I wish things were different, and we could help him, but we've done what we can. I say, drive him far away and let him go."

"It would be almost a death sentence anyway, to just let him go with his leg being the way it is," Maggie said.

"Exactly!" exclaimed Dale.

Rick massaged his temples and ran a hand through his hair. "All in favor of letting him stay?"

Dale raised his hand, but he was the only one.

"Of letting him go?" Rick continued.

Patricia, Maggie, Carol, Jimmy, and Rosanna all raised their hands, and after a moment, so did Lori. She put a hand on her husband's arm. "I know it's dangerous, but I can't help but think of what I would hope for Carl if he was in this situation," she explained quietly.

Shane slammed his fists onto his chair. "That's the mom in you talking, Lori! What do you think will happen to Carl if that little asshole brings his friends here?"

"I _have_ thought of that, Shane, thank you very much. And I think we should let Randall go." She faced Rick. "The only thing I'm worried about right now is what could happen to you while you're gone."

Rick patted her hand. "I can handle this, Lori. It won't be a problem." He looked at each person in turn. "So we're letting him go. We'll do it tomorrow. I'll take Shane with me . . ." At this, Lori bit her lip. "We'll blindfold him, and if we could use your iPod, Maggie, we'll put headphones on him so he can't hear anything. We'll take him eighteen miles out, find a spot where he can hole up, give him a few supplies and a knife, and let him take his chances."

Shane swore and pushed past Daryl and Rosanna on his way out the door. He barrelled through them so hard Rosanna bounced off Daryl's chest. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her. "Watch it," Daryl growled at Shane, who ignored him and strode off. Rosanna stood close to Daryl, smelling the piny scent of his skin and clothes, before he released her. "You okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine." Rosanna turned back to the group to see Carol giving her a strange look, almost like jealousy. She squared her shoulders and looked at Rick. "I think we should prepare, just in case. Have plans ready for his group if they come after us. We have no way to know for sure whether or not they'll come looking for him."

Rick nodded. "I agree. We'll have another meeting about safety precautions when I get back tomorrow."

"We should have plans for what to do in case _any_ group comes to the farm," T-Dog said with a shrug. "It doesn't have to be Randall's. We could be attacked at any time, by anyone looking for a place."

"That's true," Andrea said, nodding at T-Dog. "We should at the very least increase patrols."

"I'll talk to Hershel, see if he's got any ideas on how to defend the farm," Glenn put in. Maggie smiled at him and patted his leg.

"All right, everyone. Let's get back to whatever we were doing. Thanks for all your input," Rick said, running a hand through his hair. Rosanna couldn't help but notice how weary he looked.

"Shall we go back to target practice?" Rosanna asked Daryl as she followed him out the door. He shook his head and kept walking. "Daryl, what's wrong?"

Daryl stopped and glared back at her. "You should have said we needed to kill him, Rosanna! How can you be okay with lettin' that kid go?"

Rosanna stopped and stared at him. "You're mad at me?"

"Damn straight!"

Her jaw dropped. "I think giving him a chance was the right thing to do!" she exclaimed. "You don't really think he's going to survive on his own out there do you? Letting him go is a death sentence in itself, but at least we gave him a sliver of a chance to make it!"

He bit his lip, chewing hard as he glared at her. "He shouldn't get any chance to hook back up with his group!"

"How, exactly, is he going to _hook up_ with his group if he's too far away to reach them?" she countered. "With his leg being like it is, he's not going to be able to walk back here."

His eyebrows furrowed. "That's what you think?"

"I think there's almost no chance for the kid to survive on his own."

He nodded. "You're right."

She looked at him blankly. "What?"

"Think about it, Rosanna. He can't survive on his own. He's got to hook up with someone, even if it's not his old group. And what happens then?"

"He leads whoever he finds here? That's what you want me to think?"

Daryl sighed. "What d'you think?"

"Daryl, how will he know how to get here?"

He fisted his hands. "A map, Rosanna! All that kid's got to do is look up Senoia on a map. He's got to know this farm is close to the town!"

Rosanna bit her lip. "I didn't think about that," she said slowly. She took a deep breath. "You're right, Daryl. You're right. I wasn't thinking."

"That kid's gotta die, Rosanna."

Rosanna fidgeted with the tip of one of her sword sheaths. "I'll talk to Rick."

"We _both_ will," Daryl said, surprising her.

They found Rick helping Jimmy and T-Dog loading hay on a truck in preparation for feeding the horses. "Rick, can we talk for a minute?" Rosanna asked hesitantly.

"Sure," Rick said, wiping his forehead with his forearm. "What is it?" he asked as they walked out to the pasture.

Rosanna took a deep breath and repeated everything she and Daryl had discussed. Rick looked at her and sighed. "Don't you think I've thought about all this?" he asked finally.

"Of course, but . . ." Rosanna began.

Rick held up a hand. "I know how you feel, Rose, but I still think letting him go is the best thing to do. I've already made my decision."

"Just let me take the kid out to the woods, and I'll deal with him," Daryl said. "We can tell everyone else he ran off."

"That's just going to cause everyone to worry more," Rosanna pointed out. "They'll all be thinking we're going to be attacked. Lori, especially, doesn't need that kind of stress."

Rick patted her shoulder. "Rose, believe me, I've ran through every possible scenario in my head, even letting Shane and Daryl take Randall away and kill him. I think the same as you: Randall's not going to make it far by himself. But I also hear what Dale's saying. Killing him isn't the answer. It's going to change us, especially the person who is chosen to kill him. It wouldn't be killing for survival, it'll be murder. Randall's just a kid. He deserves a chance." His expression hardened. "You're just going to have to trust me on this one. I've made my choice. Shane and I will take Randall out tomorrow and leave him somewhere that he's got a chance."

Rosanna bowed her head in acknowledgement. Daryl snorted and walked off. Rick sighed and turned away to go back to help Jimmy and T-Dog. Rosanna stood watching him for a moment before going after Daryl, who was headed towards the woods.

"Daryl!" she cried as she jogged up to him.

"What?" he growled.

"Why don't we go back to crossbow practice? Come on, it'll help your stress."

He glared at her. "No. 'M too pissed. I should just go kill that kid right now."

"Daryl, you can't do that. You just can't."

"Give me one good reason why not."

She put her hands on her hips. "You're not a murderer, Daryl. Or an executioner. Just let it be. If things go wrong, it's on Rick. Don't take on that responsibility."

Daryl eyed her and moved his crossbow to the other shoulder. "Just let it go, huh. Will you be sayin' that when we're fighting to keep this place?"

"Daryl . . ."

"No!" he shouted, swiping his fist through the air. "Shane's right, this ain't the same world as before. We got to kill or be killed. End of story."

"You sure sound like Shane when you say that," she observed.

"Just a minute ago, you agreed with me. Did Rick change your mind that fast?"

"No. But I've decided that leading is his responsibility. If we can't trust him, who can we trust to make decisions for the group? Shane? Hershel?"

"Shane's a dick, but he was doin' an okay job of leading before Rick showed up," Daryl said, narrowing his eyes.

"Is that so?"

"Yup. He had rules, and he made sure they were followed. Rules that helped us survive. He even kept Carol's piece of shit husband in line."

"You don't think Rick's a good leader? I haven't known either Rick or Shane as long as you, but I can't see Shane being a leader, as hot headed as he is."

Daryl shook his head. "I'm tellin' ya, he did fine. He's just pissed off 'cause as soon as Rick came into the picture, Rick took over bein' boss."

Rosanna chewed the inside of her cheek. "I find that very hard to believe."

Daryl snorted. "Ya don't believe me, ask Carol. Or T-Dog. Or Glenn. Shane kept us safe. He was still a dick, but he did what he had to do."

"So you're saying you want Shane to be in charge again?"

He was silent for a minute. "No."

"Then what is the point of telling me all this?"

"Just wanted you to know how it was."

Rosanna shrugged. "So now I know." Daryl frowned at her and turned to leave. She grabbed his arm. "Daryl, just please promise me you won't go kill Randall. Please?"

He scowled. "Fine."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Whatever," Daryl said as he walked off into the woods.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten:

Rosanna stood on the porch with Maggie, watching Shane and Rick shove Randall into the back of Maggie's SUV. "I don't like this, Mag," she said quietly, motioning towards the car with her chin.

"I don't like it either," Maggie answered, her hard gaze on Shane. The women shared a worried look. "I hope Rick knows what he's doing."

"I think Daryl should have gone, instead of Shane," Rosanna murmured, watching the two men get in the car.

"Rick's a big boy, Rose, he'll be okay," Maggie said, biting her lip. They watched the vehicle drive down the road before they went inside, heading toward the kitchen where they had left Carol and Lori making lunch. The kitchen smelled like baked chicken, making Rosanna's mouth water. Hershel had okayed the butchering of two hens too old to produce eggs, and the thought of chicken was a treat for everyone.

"Anyone want tea?" Carol asked, motioning towards a teapot on the kitchen stove.

"Sure," both Maggie and Rosanna answered. Rosanna leaned against the counter and smiled at Carol.

"Lori took a cup up to Beth," Carol said, her eyes on Maggie. Maggie sighed.

"Do you think she'll drink it this time?" Maggie asked.

"We can only keep trying, Maggie," Carol answered. "At least she's aware of her surroundings now."

"That's true," Rosanna said as she accepted a warm mug of Earl Grey from Carol.

"Well I'm going to go check on the laundry. Keep an eye on the chickens, they're almost done," Carol said as she wiped her hands on a towel and exited the room.

"How long do you think it'll take before Rick gets back," Maggie asked as Rosanna took a sip of tea. Rosanna shrugged.

"He said eighteen miles out," she said. "Assuming nothing goes wrong, a couple of hours. I know Rick said he wanted to find a safe spot to leave Randall. It may take a bit to find somewhere like that."

Maggie frowned. "I know I said Rick's a big boy, and I'm not that afraid for him to be out there but . . ." She trailed off, frowning harder.

"Shane," Rosanna finished for her. "I have a bad feeling about him, Mag. I know it's kind of silly, since he's Rick's friend and partner, but there's just something not right."

"No, I understand," Maggie said, then lowered her voice and leaned closer to Rosanna. "Glenn said he overheard Rick and Lori talking last night. I guess Lori's been telling Rick that Shane's obsessed with her."

"What?" Rosanna squealed, setting her mug on the counter. "I've noticed something weird going on between Lori and Shane, but isn't that going a little bit overboard?"

Maggie shook her head. "That's not all. Glenn said that Lori and Shane were having sex back at the camp outside Atlanta."

"Lori was cheating on Rick?" Rosanna's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Well apparently she thought Rick was dead. Rick was in the hospital when the world went to shit. He woke up and didn't know what was going on. He went to his and Lori's home, but she and Carl were gone. Somehow he survived, but then he got in trouble with walkers and Glenn saved him. Carl and Lori were at the camp with Shane, they'd been living there some time. I guess Shane got them out of the city. Then Glenn and the others brought Rick back with them and Lori and Rick were reunited." Maggie leaned in so close her lips were on Rosanna's ear. "Glenn says Lori doesn't know if Rick or Shane is the father of the baby."

"What are you two up to?" Lori asked as she walked into the kitchen carrying an empty mug.

Rosanna and Maggie both shrieked and spilled tea all over each other. "Lori, oh, we didn't hear you come in," Maggie stammered. Rosanna grabbed a towel and began brushing off the tea from her shirt and shorts.

Lori laughed. "You're both real jumpy today." She set the mug in the sink and smiled at Maggie. "Beth drank the tea."

"Oh great," Maggie said, flashing a guilty smile. "Um, Carol told us to watch the chicken."

"I'll get it," Lori said, grabbing some oven mitts. The mouthwatering smell of baked chicken wafted through Rosanna's nose as Lori took them out and set the pans on the stove.

"I'll see what else we've got," Maggie said, reaching for some tomatoes while giving Rosanna a panicked look. Rosanna lifted her eyebrow and pulled out a couple of cutting boards, giving one to Maggie.

"I'll cut the cucumbers," Rosanna said, taking several of them from a basket on the table.

"Carol must have just picked these," Maggie commented. "They still smell like the air."

"Like the air?" Lori gave Maggie a funny look.

"Yeah," said Maggie, waving her knife around. "Like the air, like the outdoors, you know?"

Lori pulled out another knife and began cutting up the chickens. The women worked happily alongside each other before Maggie glanced up at Lori. "Has Rick said anything to you about when they were in town getting my dad?"

Lori and Rosanna gave each other surprised looks before they looked over at Maggie. "Other than it got pretty bad?" she answered. "Why?"

Maggie stopped cutting the tomatoes and wiped her hands on a towel. "Glenn's changed. He says he froze. He blames me, says I got into his head."

"Is that why he's moping around like a lost puppy?" Rosanna asked. Maggie glared at her and she shrugged. "Well, he _has_ been."

"He came back, Maggie," Lori said. "Isn't that what matters?" She chopped a drumstick off a thigh a little bit harder than she needed to. "Men have to do certain things, you know that. They're going to blame their little woman as the reason they do it or the reason they don't. Things are gonna happen out there, we're the ones that have to sit here and keep everything together until they get back." She slammed her knife into another piece of chicken.

Maggie and Rosanna exchanged a look and began chopping their vegetables again. "Things were good before this, though," Maggie said finally. "I just think I . . ."

"Glenn's a big boy," Lori interrupted, waving her knife at Maggie. "He can make his own choices. Did you do anything you need to apologize for?" Maggie shook her head. "Then tell him to man up and pull himself together."

Rosanna couldn't help it. She giggled. Both of the other women stared at her. "Sorry," Rosanna said, covering her mouth. "Were you a counselor before?" she asked Lori, who rolled her eyes.

"Nope, honey, I'm just a housewife."

Rosanna cracked up, bending over because she was laughing so loud. Maggie and Lori laughed with her. "I'll make Beth a plate," Maggie said when they all calmed down.

"I'll do it," Lori said. "You go find Glenn." Maggie smiled and waved as she went out the door.

Lori put a piece of chicken on a plate, along with some tomatoes and cucumbers while Rosanna filled a glass of water. After putting the plate on a tray with some silverware, the two women went upstairs to see Beth, who was lying under the covers of her bed staring at the wall. Lori laid the tray on the nightstand by the bed as Beth slowly sat up.

"How about this?" Lori said cheerily, looking at Beth. "After you eat, why don't we go take a walk? It'll do you good to be outside." Beth barely glanced at her.

"You're pregnant?" Beth asked in a monotone. "How could you do that?"

Rosanna stared at her, surprised, then raised her eyes to Lori, who looked shocked and a bit embarrassed. "I don't really have a choice," Lori responded evenly. Beth shook her head, looking angry, and stared at the wall again.

"You eat something," Lori said shakily, and swiftly left the room.

"That was kinda harsh, Beth," Rosanna chided when she was sure Lori was out of earshot.

Beth rolled her eyes. "It's horrible. How can she bring a baby into this world?"

"Like she said, kiddo, she doesn't have a choice."

Beth glared at her. "How can she not? She couldn't have used condoms? Glenn and Maggie do. She told me so. She's smart, she doesn't want babies now."

Rosanna sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Maybe she didn't have any condoms."

"Then she shouldn't have had sex!" Beth cried, her eyes wild with fury. "She has Carl, obviously she knows how kids are created! Why'd she have sex without a condom when she knew she could get pregnant?"

Rosanna thought about what Maggie had told her, that Lori didn't know who was the father of her baby. Beth stared at her, silently challenging her to defend Lori. She shrugged. "Passion is a hard thing to hold back on," Rosanna finally said, knowing her words were lame. Beth snorted. "Well, I'll leave you to eat," she said, hoping to extricate herself from the predicament she found herself in. "We'll go an a walk after, like Lori said." Beth ignored her, turning her face to the wall. Rosanna groaned inwardly and exited the room.

Lori was sitting in the kitchen, fingering a chicken drumstick as Rosanna came in. She met Rosanna's gaze and sighed. "She's right, you know. How can I bring a baby into this?"

"We've had this conversation before," Rosanna reminded her.

Lori sighed again and picked up the drumstick. She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "I know. I know. But if even a seventeen year old girl can see that this is a mistake . . ."

"You've got to stop thinking like that, Lori," Rosanna said, patting the older woman's arm. "You've just _got_ to. It is what it is, and there's no changing it." She stared at Lori grimly. "Unless you ask Hershel if he knows how to perform abortions." Lori turned red and looked down. "You've already asked him?"

Lori nodded. "I did." She pressed her palms to her eyelids. "He said no. I don't know if he meant no, he didn't know how or no, he wouldn't do it. He looked horrified at the whole mention of aborting the baby."

"Is that all he said?"

"No," she said with a small smile. "He said 'God will provide'."

"Sounds like Hershel logic," Rosanna smiled back. "You're just going to have to trust that everything will work out, Lori."

Lori took another bite of drumstick and nodded. "You're right," she said once she swallowed. "I've got to be strong for Rick and Carl." She threw her bone away and put her plate in the sink. "I'm going to go get Beth's plate. Are you going to walk with us, if she wants to go outside?"

"Of course," Rosanna said as Lori went up the stairs. She went to the window and looked out. Andrea, T-Dog, and Jimmy were in the pasture fixing a fence. Daryl sat by his tent, cleaning what looked like a squirrel. He was wearing a T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off. She found herself watching the shape of his muscles when she was startled by Lori coming back into the kitchen.

"She didn't eat a thing," Lori said with a long sigh as she set the full tray down on the counter. Rosanna turned to look at her as a strange look passed over the other woman's face.

"Lori?"

"The knife!" was all Lori said as she rushed back up the stairs. Rosanna followed her into Beth's room and they both stared hard at Beth, who lay quietly under the covers.

"Beth?" Lori asked. Beth didn't move. Lori began frantically searching around the nightstand while Rosanna felt under the mattress. "Beth, just give it to me sweetheart. You don't want to do this."

Rosanna stood up straight and watched as Beth's eyes opened. She pulled down the covers and slowly brought out the knife, holding it up for Lori to take. Lori grabbed the knife and bit her lip. "Stay with her, Rosanna. I'm going to find Maggie." Rosanna nodded and sat down on the bed, staring at Beth.

"You don't really want to kill yourself," Rosanna said quietly, stroking Beth's leg over the covers. "Your dad and sister would be devastated."

"They'd be more devastated to see me gettin' eaten alive by one of those _things_ ," Beth said hollowly. "And that's going to be what happens to all of us eventually."

"You don't know that," Rosanna said more harshly than she intended.

Beth glared up at her. "Yes I do. I _do_ know it! And I'd rather die quietly, here in this bed, then be torn apart by those monsters!" She sat up angrily. "And who are you, or Lori, to tell me I shouldn't? It's _my_ choice! Not yours or anyone else's!"

"And what is your family supposed to do? Just forget all about you?"

Beth looked her straight in the eye. "No. If they were smart, they'd join me. You would too. You and everyone else."

Rosanna shook her head. "What about Carl, Beth? Are you saying he should kill himself too? Should he give up the chance to live just because you're being selfish?"

"Selfish?" Beth laughed brokenly. "What's selfish is _his parents not shooting him in the head themselves_. They should make it quick and then join him."

Rosanna leaned away from her, taken aback. "Beth . . ." She was cut off by an angry, hysterical Maggie entering the room, followed by Lori.

"I need to talk to my sister. Alone."

Shutting the door firmly behind her, Rosanna followed Lori back to the kitchen, where Andrea stood, her arms crossed over her chest. The three women stood quietly as the sisters began shouting at each other, their angry voices echoing throughout the house.

"Where's Hershel?" Andrea asked as she leaned against the counter. Lori shook her head.

"I don't know. Just let the girls work it out."

"That's working it out?" Andrea rubbed her forehead and glanced up at the ceiling. Lori shrugged and picked up a slice of cucumber, popping it into her mouth. Rosanna refilled the kettle and set it on the stove.

"Anyone want tea?" she asked, pulling down a box of Irish Breakfast. Lori nodded while Andrea shook her head, still staring at the ceiling.

"This could have been handled better," Andrea said as she began chewing on her thumbnail.

"How so?" Lori queried.

"You shouldn't have taken the knife away."

Both Lori and Rosanna stared at Andrea in horror. "You can't be serious," Rosanna said, certain she had heard wrong.

"It was wrong," Andrea insisted. She glanced at Lori. "It's just like Dale taking my gun. It's not your decision."

"She's _seventeen_!" Rosanna hissed. "She doesn't get to make that decision!"

"She has to choose to live on her own, she needs to find her own reasons," Andrea continued as if she didn't hear Rosanna.

Lori and Rosanna exchanged incredulous looks. "So we should just give her a loaded gun?" Lori snapped. "You can't be serious." She looked down her nose at Andrea. "You didn't end up killing yourself."

"I got through it," Andrea said, her hands on her hips.

"To become such a productive member of the group," Lori spat, glaring at Andrea.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Andrea glared back.

"Just what I said," Lori sneered, turning to the sink and turning on the water.

"I contribute to the group! I help make sure we stay safe!"

Lori huffed and swirled soap into the hot water. "The men can do that just fine. They don't need your help."

Rosanna watched as Andrea's face turned beet red. "I'm sorry," she said huffily. "What would you have me do?"

Lori snorted and began washing dishes. "Oh, I can think of a lot of things. You could help with laundry, that's a big chore." She motioned towards the sink. "You can do dishes. Help dust the house, cook a meal, you know, all the things us _women_ are put in charge of doing that you seem to be too busy pretending to be one of the men to help with."

"Whoa now, Lori, that's not fair," Rosanna said gently. "Andrea helps with stuff around the farm." To her surprise, Andrea turned on her.

"And what does _she_ do, Lori?" Andrea asked, waving a hand at Rosanna. "She's out 'hunting'," here she made air quotes, "just as much as I'm on watch."

"She does just as much laundry and other chores as she does hunting," Lori pointed an accusing finger at Andrea. "She's coming back with food for the group while you're up on that RV working on your tan!"

Andrea's expression was outraged. "I am on watch for walkers! That's the most important thing!"

"No, it's not!" Lori argued. "Carol and I, Rosanna, Maggie, and Patricia do all the cooking and cleaning and the chores that make this farm livable! Stable! We're trying to create a life worth living, and all you do is sit with a shotgun in your hand or playing at being a farmhand when it suits you. Not once have you helped with any of the housework. You put a burden on the rest of us when you aren't helping. Do you think any of us like washing Shane's come out of your frilly little lace underwear while you sit around pretending to be one of the men? You are so self-centered!"

Rosanna's jaw dropped as she stared from Lori to Andrea, who looked like she was going to punch the pregnant woman. She quickly moved between the two women, arms out. "This is getting out of hand, you guys. We have enough to worry about as it is, we don't need to say things we're going to regret later." Lori turned away, back to the dishes, but Andrea looked over Rosanna's shoulder and pointed her finger at Lori.

"Are you kidding me? You're the self centered one! You have everything, and you take it all for granted!"

Lori spun around, trailing water all over the floor. "My husband is out there right now! My son was _shot_! Don't you dare tell me I take this all for granted!"

Andrea sneered at her. "You don't get it, do you? Your husband came back from the dead. Your son too! And you've got a baby on the way! The rest of us have piled up our losses while you stand there with everything! You spend your time in the house, pretending to be the perfect housewife, acting like the queen bee, laying down rules for everybody but yourself!" She took a breath, still glaring at Lori. "You know what? Go on in there and tell that little girl that everything's going to be okay, just like it is for you. She'll get a husband, son, baby . . ." Her eyes narrowed. "Boyfriend."

Rosanna clapped a hand on her mouth. "That's more than enough, Andrea." Andrea pushed her hand away and stared triumphantly at Lori, who stared at her with fury in her eyes.

"That's fine, Rosanna, stick up for her! You didn't know her before. She was fucking Shane, then all of a sudden her husband miraculously returns from the dead . . . after almost getting our group killed, by the way . . . and she just goes right back to fucking Rick. But she just couldn't leave Shane alone after that, could she? No, she was fucking both of them before we left the camp. Shane told me all about it. Hey Lori, who's the father of your baby? Or do you even know for sure?"

Lori stared at her, openmouthed. "How dare you?" she spat through her teeth. "I was never unfaithful to Rick."

"You may have thought you were sneaky, Lori, but everyone knew you were slipping away with Shane, getting it on in the woods. And once Rick was back, you were fucking Shane too. He told me himself. Why would he lie?" She smirked at Lori and crossed her arms before striding out of the room and up the stairs.

Rosanna and Lori stared at each other. "Rosanna, I never . . . I didn't have sex with Shane after Rick came back . . . I didn't . . ." Rosanna held up a hand.

"You don't have to explain yourself, Lori," she said calmly. "Andrea was just trying to get a rise out of you."

Lori shook her head. "I have to go." She threw a dish towel down on the counter and walked out, slamming the kitchen door behind her.

Rosanna leaned against the counter as the kettle began to whistle. She took the kettle off the stove and poured water into her mug, then moved back to her position and tried to make sense of what had just happened. She could hear Andrea and Maggie talking at the top of the stairs, and Maggie came down soon after.

"Andrea's staying with Beth while I get some air," Maggie said. "Walk with me?" Rosanna nodded and followed Maggie out of the house and out towards one of the pastures. Maggie stopped by the fence and leaned on the post. "She wants to kill herself," she whispered. "And she wants me to kill myself with her. A suicide pact. She wants us to go in her bed, together."

"Her mother's death really messed with her, Mag." Rosanna paused for a moment before looking at her friend. "It messed with _me_ and I didn't even know the woman. And your dad didn't do her any favors by keeping the hope for a cure alive."

Maggie leaned her head against her crossed arms. "I know, Rose. I know. We sheltered her for her whole life."

"Are you going to tell Hershel?"

"I think I should. She's just depressed. She's a kid for God's sake. He'll know what to do . . . some medication or one of Patricia's herbs . . . something to make this better." She steepled her clasped hands and laid her chin on them. "She thinks all of us should kill ourselves. She said Lori and Rick should put a bullet in Carl's head. She's so certain we're all going to get eaten by walkers."

Rosanna laid her hand on Maggie's shoulder. "I wish I could tell you what to do, but I can't come up with anything besides just keep an eye on her and hope this all passes."

"I can't lose my sister," Maggie's mouth trembled. Rosanna put her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Maggie smiled weakly and squeezed her back. "Come on," she said. "Let's go back to the house. Will you try talking to Beth?"

"Of course," said Rosanna as the two made their way back into the house. Rosanna followed Maggie up the stairs and into Beth's bedroom. To her surprise, no one was in the room. She and Maggie exchanged glances.

"Where the hell is Andrea?" Maggie asked, looking around the room.

"Maybe she got Beth to go on a walk with her," answered Rosanna slowly. Her gaze fell on the closed bathroom door. Suddenly she heard sobbing, and the sound of broken glass. Both women rushed to the door and Maggie tried the knob. It was locked. They both began pounding on the door.

"Beth?"

"Beth!"

The sobbing grew louder. Rosanna pushed Maggie aside and tried to bust the door down, but it was more solid than it looked. "Maggie?" Lori asked as she ran into the room.

"Beth's in there! We heard glass breaking!" Maggie sobbed. She pounded on the door again. "Beth, don't do this. Don't do this! Open up, please!"

Lori grabbed a fireplace poker and handed it to Rosanna. Rosanna shoved the point between the door and the wall and pulled. The door burst open, showing them Beth standing in front of the broken mirror, holding a gash on her arm that was dripping blood. "I'm sorry," Beth cried as her sister gathered her into her arms.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven:

"Why did you bring him back, Rick?" Lori asked as she continued folding laundry the morning after Shane and Rick brought Randall back to the farm. Rosanna and Carol took another basket of wet clothes to the clothesline and began hanging them as they watched the married couple out of the corner of their eyes.

"Like I told everyone, Lori, Randall knows Maggie. He knows exactly where this farm is. We couldn't leave him there. He's a liability."

Lori glanced at Rosanna and Carol and lowered her voice but Rosanna had no problem hearing her. "You should have killed him then."

Rick massaged his forehead. "Shane wanted to . . . but, Lori, Randall helped me save Shane. If he hadn't cooperated, Shane would be dead."

Lori lowered her voice even further. "You should have left them both."

Rick eyed his wife and sighed. "I know you think Shane's the bad guy now, but we had a talk about you and the baby. He agreed the baby is mine and he's going to stop pursuing you," he whispered near her ear. Lori rolled her eyes and turned away.

"What will you do now?" she asked as she stood up, picking up her basket of clean, dry clothes.

"What I have to do," Rick answered seriously, and looked over at Rosanna. "I need to talk to you, Rose."

Rosanna exchanged glances with Carol and handed her the basket of wet clothes before following Rick around the house. "What is it, Rick?"

He put his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground for a moment before looking up at her. "I need you and Daryl to interrogate Randall."

"What do you mean, interrogate?"

"We need to know everything we can about his group. How many there are, how they take care of themselves, where their last camp was. Anything we can find out."

Rosanna chewed her lip. "I understand. And . . . if the boy won't talk?"

Rick looked her straight in the eye. "Then Daryl will make him talk. By whatever means necessary."

"Jesus, Rick, you want us to torture him?"

Rick shrugged. "There are things we have to know. I'm not saying threaten to cut off his fingers or anything but, Rose, this is serious. If I would have known Randall knew Maggie and her family . . ."

"You would have killed him in the first place," Rosanna finished. He shrugged again.

"Probably." He met her gaze. "I'm asking you to do the questioning. I don't want Shane involved, he'd be too brutal. Daryl will listen to you if you tell him to stop. I know this is a big thing to ask, but the other women are too . . . too _soft_."

"And I'm not?" Rosanna would have chuckled but it was too serious of a moment.

"No. You're not."

She thought about it for a second. "Why don't _you_ do this? With Daryl?"

"Because if it comes down to it, I'm going to kill Randall. And he may feel like he can tell a woman more than he'll tell a man."

She took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Daryl's already at the shed. I'll walk you."

Rosanna stared down at Randall as the boy cried. His face was bloody and cut up. Daryl reached back and punched him in the face, knocking him off the chair. Randall cried out, but Daryl punched him again. Rosanna crossed her arms. "All you have to do is talk, and this will stop," she said, nodding at Daryl as he punched the young man again.

"Ain't got nothing to say," Randall whined against the floor. Daryl punched him again. "I told you . . ."

Daryl grabbed him and slammed him against the wall in a sitting position. "You ain't told me shit!"

"Please, you can't do this!" Randall cried.

"We can," Rosanna said, putting a hand on Daryl's arm to keep him from attacking. "And we will, until we get answers."

"I barely knew those guys! I met 'em on the road!" Randall said, spitting blood out of his mouth.

"How many were in the group?" Rosanna asked. "We'll start with that."

Randall tossed his head back and forth but didn't say anything. Rosanna shrugged. "Daryl?" She watched the hunter draw a knife. Randall's eyes grew wide.

"No, no, no, no, come on, man!"

"Talk, or this will get a lot worse," Rosanna said evenly.

"A l _ot_ worse," Daryl promised. He slammed the knife between Randall's legs and got in his face. "How many?"

"Th . . . thirty! Thirty, thirty!" Randall stammered. Daryl looked back at Rosanna and she pressed her lips together.

 _Thirty men!_ She thought, knowing her horror was evident on her face. _Fuck me . . ._ She could tell Daryl was just as disturbed by the number as she was. She focused back on Randall.

"Where are they?" she asked quietly. Randall looked away. Rosanna nodded at Daryl and he reached down to tear the bandage off his leg. Randall screamed in pain.

"I don't know, I swear!" the boy shouted. Daryl put his knife on Randall's wound, taunting him. "We were never anyplace more than a night!"

"Were they scoutin'?" Daryl snarled. "Plannin' on stayin' local?" His knife pressed deeper.

"I don't know! They left me behind!" The knife slid along the wound and Randall screamed again. "Come on, man! I'm tryin' to cooperate!"

"Rosanna, do you think he's cooperatin'?" Daryl asked, looking back at her.

"I think he's holding back on us, Daryl," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay!" Randall cried. "I'll tell you! They . . . they have weapons. Heavy stuff. Semi automatics." He cut off as Daryl pushed the knife down. "Ow, ow, oh God! I didn't do anything!"

"Daryl, let him speak," Rosanna ordered. "Step back for a second." Daryl scowled but nodded and leaned back on his heels.

"You shot at our people, Randall. You _did_ do something, you see. You're not innocent. And we're going to know everything about your group, or Daryl will start using his knife." Rosanna looked the boy in his eyes. "You think you were in pain when you were impaled on that fence? Daryl will make you wish you were never born." Randall's eyes widened and he nodded.

"Okay. Okay. Whatever you want to know. Just . . . just don't hurt me!" Rosanna leaned against the wall and motioned for Randall to continue. He took a deep breath, focusing his words on her. "They took me in, not just guys but women and children too! I thought I'd have a better chance with them! But . . . we'd go out, and scavenge. Just the men. One night we found this little campsite. A man and his two daughters. Teenagers. Real young." He glanced at Rosanna. "Real cute."

Daryl stood up and began pacing, glaring at Randall. Rosanna wrapped an arm around herself, holding in the disgust she felt. She knew what the boy would say next.

"They made the dad watch, while the guys, they . . . they." He swallowed. "They didn't even kill 'em afterwards! The daughters . . . they just left them there." Randall noticed the expression on Daryl's face and he began shaking his head. "But I didn't touch those girls! I swear . . ." He cut off in a piercing scream as Daryl kicked his leg. "Please!" He began to sob. "I ain't like that! Please!"

Rosanna suddenly had enough. "I'm going to go talk to Rick," she told Daryl as she strode to the door, feeling sick to her stomach. "Don't kill him. Rick may want to talk to him." Daryl nodded at her as he kicked the boy again. Rosanna went outside, taking fresh gulps of air, and went straight to the house looking for Rick. As soon as she found him, they walked out to the pasture and Rosanna told him all they had learned.

"Shit," Rick said, wiping his face. "He said thirty men? With weapons?" Rosanna nodded.

"He wasn't that talkative at first. But Daryl got him talking." Rick pressed his palms to his forehead. Rosanna looked at him.

"This information was won through torture, Rick, I don't know how much of it is real."

"It's all got to be real. Those men, in the bar, none of us told you all, they were looking for a safe place. They asked us about where we were living. They knew we were somewhere near."

"So you think they'll find us?"

"If they were smart, they'd look. They told us we looked too well off for scavengers." He shook his head. "I never thought about it, Rose, but even without Randall telling them where we are . . ."

"They're still looking for a safe place." He nodded.

"So what do we do? If he's telling the truth and they've got better weapons than us, more people . . . What Randall said about the man and his girls, it was horrible, Rick. I saw it in his eyes. Whatever it was those guys did to those people, Randall thought they'd be better off dead. He said it himself, 'they didn't even kill them after'."

"We're going to take care of Randall, then discuss what we'll do about protecting the farm."

Rosanna stood next to Daryl as the others congregated around the campfire. "What are we going to do with the boy? Have you decided?" Lori asked Rick. Her husband motioned towards Daryl.

"He and Rosanna questioned him." All eyes turned to Daryl.

"The kid's got a gang of thirty men. They've got heavy artillery and they aren't looking to make friends. They come around here, our boys are dead, and our women will wish they were," Daryl looked at each member of the group soberly, his eyes coming to rest on Rosanna.

"What did you do?" Carol asked Daryl, looking at his bloody knuckles.

"Had a little chat," Daryl replied.

Rick began to pace. "No one goes near this guy."

"Rick, what are you going to do?" Lori asked, her eyes wide. Rick sighed.

"We have no choice. He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat."

Dale stepped forward. "You're just gonna kill him?"

"It's settled," Rick replied sternly. "We'll do it today." He turned and walked away. Dale followed him.

"Just like that, huh?" Shane spat. "We should have killed that kid first thing." He glanced at Daryl's hand. "Unless you already did?" Daryl shook his head.

"Randall's not dead," Rosanna said, stepping closer to Daryl. "We just had to resort to . . . well, the kid wouldn't talk. So Daryl made him."

"You _tortured_ him?" Carol gasped. "Together?"

"Rosanna didn't do nothin' but ask the questions, so leave her alone, Carol," Daryl snapped. Carol glared at them both and walked into the house. The others quickly dispersed. Rosanna sighed and grabbed the edge of Daryl's shirt to lead him to her tent.

"What are you doin' woman?" Daryl asked.

"We're cleaning up your hands, Daryl," Rosanna said calmly as she reached for her first aid kit. He tried to jerk away but she held him fast. "No arguments. Give me your hand." She began bandaging him up as he grumbled at her. When she was done, she looked up at him. He looked back down at her with an intense expression.

"I really didn't want you t' see me like that," he mumbled. "I coulda questioned the kid myself."

"Rick asked me to, Daryl, and it's okay," Rosanna answered. He shook his head.

"Still didn't like it." He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "You shouldn't have seen that."

"I don't think any less of you, Daryl," Rosanna said, looking him in the eyes. "What you did had to be done." He looked away.

"Even . . . even if I _liked_ doin' it?"

"You liked punching Randall?"

He nodded. "I did. I did like it." He frowned. "Betcha don't like me now."

Rosanna stared at him, wondering what he meant. He took her silence for assent and turned to go with a hard look in his eyes. She grabbed his arm and without thinking, reached up and kissed his dirty cheek. "I like you just the way you are, Daryl." He froze for a second, then turned and walked towards his tent. Rosanna watched him go, then turned to her tent. She decided to take care of the chore of cleaning right away and went to the RV to get the broom. Carol stood just inside, staring out the window.

"I need the broom," Rosanna said, reaching for it. Carol grabbed her arm.

"You and Daryl tortured that boy," Carol said quietly. Rosanna gripped the broom handle and nodded.

"Yes."

"Together?"

"I asked the questions," Rosanna answered, uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Daryl shouldn't have done that. It's something his brother would do. Daryl's better than that!" Rosanna stepped back, away from the older woman's anger. "I thought it would be good for him to have a friend like you, but not if you're just going to make him worse off than he was!"

"Whoa, Carol, we did what Rick asked!" Rosanna defended herself. Carol slapped her hand on the side of the RV.

"You . . ." She was interrupted by Andrea coming in.

"Something wrong?" Andrea asked, looking concerned.

"No, I was just leaving," Rosanna said as she moved behind Andrea and exited the RV. She pulled everything out of her tent and started sweeping. When that chore was done, she put everything back neatly. She was surveying her now clean tent when Dale came up behind her.

"Can we talk?" he asked, then looked inside her tent. "Looks nice in there."

"Thanks," Rosanna answered with a small smile. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Randall."

"I don't think there's anything to say, is there? Rick's made his decision." She scuffed her boot in the dirt and looked into Dale's flustered face.

"Please, just hear me out," he said as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'm listening, Dale. But if you're going to say what I think you are, then we've had this conversation before."

"We can't kill Randall. It's just not right. He hasn't done anything to deserve that."

"Shooting at our men?" Rosanna asked. "He knew what he was doing, Dale. And that story he told about the girls and their father? He did nothing to help them. We don't know for sure if he just stood by or he joined in. Is that the kind of person we want in the group?"

"He's just a kid. A wounded kid. Rosanna, the world has gone to hell, I know that, but that doesn't mean the old rules are dead. Rick's setting himself up as judge, jury, and executioner."

"He asked our opinions before he decided. Now he feels his hands are tied, the boy has to die."

"Can you explain to me why _you_ think he needs to die? Without just saying Rick or Shane says it needs to be done."

Rosanna took a deep breath. "If it was just me making the decision, Dale, I would choose to put a bullet in Randall's head. Not because Rick said so," She held up a hand when he started to interrupt. "This is why I think killing him is the best option. He's always going to be a liability, for several reasons. We'll never know if he's going to run away and join his group, bring them here to kill our men and rape our women. We'll never know if he's just as bad as them. He could see Beth alone one day and hurt her. Or Carl. His very wound is a liability. He's going to need people to protect him, he'll barely be able to protect himself. He could get others killed trying to rescue him. He's not going to be able to hunt, or scavenge, or even help with much farm chores. You've heard me say all this before."

Dale shook his head. "You're telling me you'd kill him because he _may_ turn on us. And because he's helpless?" He lowered his voice. "Do you think we should kill Lori and Carl, too? By your reasoning, they're liabilities too. Lori because she's pregnant, and Carl because he's a kid!"

"That's not at all true," Rosanna answered. "Carl is by no means helpless, the kid's a crack shot and he's got a good head on his shoulders. Lori may be pregnant, but she still contributes a lot to the group. The only time she's going to be helpless is when she's having the baby and recovering from its birth. And even then, that woman would take on an army to protect her family. The problem with Randall is the _what if_. There are too many what ifs where he's concerned. We just can't take that chance."

"Honey, we took a chance on _you_ and look how that turned out!" Dale said, patting her shoulder.

"And every day I am thankful for that, for all of you," Rosanna gave him a small smile. "But I also didn't shoot at anyone. If I recall correctly, Daryl and I were the ones shot _at_."

"I'm not going to change your mind, am I, Rosanna?"

She shook her head slightly and took his hand. "I'm sorry, Dale, but no. You're not. I understand your point of view, and I think highly of you for standing by your beliefs, but I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you." She squeezed his hand and let go, before walking off towards the barn.

Carl and Lori stood in the driveway, and Rosanna joined them. She ruffled Carl's hair and smiled at Lori. "How are you feeling?"

Lori gave her a tight smile back. "A little nauseous, but thankfully the morning sickness isn't as bad with this one as it was with this guy." She hugged Carl close and looked at Rosanna. "I'm going to talk to Rick. Come with me?"

"Dad's in the barn," Carl said, chewing on his lip in a way Rosanna recognized as Carl feeling guilty. She raised an eyebrow and scrutinized him as he shuffled his feet in the dirt.

"I'm going to walk with your mom and when I get back, I want us to go do something fun," Rosanna said, giving the boy a smile. He smiled back as she turned to walk with Lori. "What do you need to talk to Rick about?"

"I want to know what's going through his head," Lori answered, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "He's been close mouthed with me lately, I think having someone he respects there with me will get him to talk."

"Oh boy," Rosanna said. Lori giggled and gave her a little push. They found Rick up in the hayloft, looking up at the rafters. He smiled weakly at them.

"The nights are getting pretty cold and we're pretty exposed," Lori said calmly, leaning against the wall.

Rick motioned around the barn. "We could talk to Hershel, see if we can't clear this place out. We can station lookouts up there . . ." He stopped when he saw his wife's expression. "Or we can see if Hershel will let us move into the house." Lori smiled and nodded.

"It'll make things pretty cozy, that many people in the house," Rosanna commented.

"Yes, but it'll be _warmer_ ," Lori said.

"I wouldn't mind staying in here, if it comes down to it," Rosanna said, looking around the barn. Rick flashed her a small smile as he reached for a coil of rope. Lori stared at him.

"You're going to string him up?" she asked. "Is that really the best way to do this?" Rick paused for a moment.

"I have no idea," Rick admitted. "This is my first time." Lori crossed her arms. "Look I know how you feel about the death penalty . . ."

"The world has changed," Lori interrupted. "After everything that's happened . . . and finally, you and Shane agree on something."

"Do you support this decision?" asked Rick, looking at both women. Lori took a deep breath and looked at Rosanna. Rosanna nodded her head.

"I'm with you on this, Rick. It's what has to be done. None of us _like_ it, but none of us like having to live like this, either." Rosanna looked down at her nails. "Like Lori said, the world has changed. But just so you know, Dale's talking to everyone, trying to get them to see things his way. He's not going to be happy about this." Rick nodded and looked at his wife.

"If you think this is best, then it's what needs to be done, Rick. I'm with you too. Honestly, I think most of the group is with you. It was one thing when we thought the boy didn't know where the farm was, that was a measure of protection. But now that we know he knows where we are, and it's either kill him or let him stay, well, I'm going to be honest. I really don't want him around our son. I don't want Carl being friends with the person who shot at his father."

Rick fidgeted with the rope. His mouth was working like he was chewing on the inside of his cheeks. "Thank you both for being honest. It takes a load off my mind, knowing that you two agree this is what's best for all of us."

Lori crossed her arms and looked at the rope for a few moments. "You never did tell me what happened on the road with Shane." Rosanna's eyes widened and she stepped back.

"I better let you two have this conversation to yourselves," she said. Rick shook his head.

"No, it's fine." He looked at his wife, then at Rosanna. "Shane won't be a problem anymore. I know he's been an asshole to you. But all that is water beneath the bridge." Lori glanced at Rosanna and half rolled her eyes.

"If you say so, Rick," Lori said.

"I do," Rick answered, tying a noose in the rope before standing up. "I think it's time to deal with this."

The women followed him out of the barn and were accosted by Carol. "You need to control that boy!" Carol shouted angrily, pointing at Lori and Rick.

"Tell Carl I'll be waiting for him in my tent," Rosanna said quickly and jogged away from the trio, with Carol's glare following her down the driveway. Carol's sharp voice reverberated in her ears even as she moved quickly away. She entered her tent, noticing a new little bouquet from Carl, and laid on her bed to wait for her little friend. Soon she fell into a comfortable doze and closed her eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve:

A piney smell reached Rosanna's nostrils and she woke instantly to hear footsteps beside her tent. "Carl?" she asked, but the smell wasn't right.

"Rosanna, Rick wants us in the house. It's time," she heard Daryl say.

"I'll be right out," Rosanna answered, sitting up and stretching. She left her swords and revolvers on her bed and followed Daryl up to the house.

"Do you think he'll pussy out again?" Daryl asked quietly before they entered. She shrugged.

"I hope not. This needs to be resolved tonight."

He held the door open for her and the two of them went into the living room where everyone was either sitting or standing around looking deadly serious. Carl tried to sneak in behind them but Rosanna shook her head and pointed upstairs. "Adults only, kiddo," she whispered. He rolled his eyes and trudged away.

Everyone except Beth and Carl were in the living room. "So how do we do this, just take a vote?" Glenn finally said, breaking the silence.

"Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea asked.

"Majority rules," Lori said as Rick spoke over her.

"Let's just see where everybody's at with this."

"There's only one thing to do," said Shane.

"Killing him!" Dale exclaimed. "Right? Why even bother to vote?" He shook his head sadly.

"If someone doesn't think we should kill him, I want to know," said Rick wearily.

"Well Glenn and I don't think we should kill him," Dale announced. Everyone looked at Glenn, who sighed and shook his head.

"Actually," Glenn said softly, "I don't agree with you, Dale. Look, I know I usually think what you say is right, but this time . . . I disagree. We've lost too many people already. We can't let that kid live."

"How about you, Maggie, do you agree with this?" Dale looked pointedly at Maggie, who stood with her arms crossed. She shrugged.

"We can't just keep him prisoner?"

"He'd just be another mouth to feed," Daryl put in. Rosanna nodded. So did T-Dog, Shane, and Jimmy.

"Keeping him prisoner isn't practical," Rosanna said quietly. "It would be a waste of resources . . . food, and someone to guard him whose time could be better spent patrolling or helping around the farm."

"He could be an asset!" Dale insisted. "Why won't you give him a chance?"

"There's nothing that kid can do to be an asset, Dale," Daryl answered. "He's weak, and he's got a gimp leg."

"Look, if we give him a chance, I volunteer to watch over him," Dale said. "I'll keep him in line."

"So you'll be his babysitter while he does what?" Shane asked. "Sit around and eat our food? Ogle our women? That kid ain't gonna be worth shit. He can't even walk without fucking limping."

"Language!" Patricia snapped.

"Sorry," said Shane, but he didn't look sorry at all.

"I wouldn't feel safe with him walking around the farm," Lori said. "I don't want him anywhere near Carl."

"I don't want him near my girls, either," Hershel said softly. Maggie put a hand on her father's shoulder.

"Look, the point is, Dale, no one wants to babysit him but you. Are you planning on keeping him next to you while you're on watch? What if no one's around and he jumps you for your gun? What if we do keep him here, and he's helpful, he's nice, we all let our guard down, and then wham! He goes for his thirty men. Or he attacks one of us. Do you really want that on your conscience?" Shane asked. Many heads nodded in agreement.

"So you're just going to kill him for something he may never do?" Dale was incredulous. "If we do this, law is dead. There is no civilization!"

"Dale, there already is no civilization!" Rosanna exclaimed. "I know you want everything to be like it was but it's just not that way anymore! No matter what we choose: let him stay, let him go, kill him . . . _nothing has changed_. We're still just people trying to survive. And that means we can't take unnecessary risks!" Mostly everyone looked down at their feet,

"Can't we just take him further out, leave him?" Hershel asked, breaking the silence.

"They barely got back last time!" Lori cried. "There's walkers, they could break down, they could be ambushed! I don't want our people put at risk for this kid!"

Patricia stood up. "If you go through with killin' him, how would you do it? Would he suffer?"

"Shooting is the most humane way," Rosanna said. "I know you thought about hanging him, Rick, but that seems unnecessarily morbid to me. One bullet in the head and it's done. If you hang him, I've read people have spent hours hanging there waiting to suffocate. It's not a sure thing that the neck will break." Dale stared at her with a horrified expression.

"Don't look at her like that," Daryl snapped, stepping in front of Rosanna. "She's only sayin' what everyone else is thinkin'!"

"What about the body?" T-Dog asked. "Do we bury or burn him?" Dale looked almost apoplectic.

"Hold on, you're talking about this like its already decided!" Dale cried.

"We just keep going on in circles about this," Daryl said, standing close enough to Rosanna that their shoulders touched. "This needs to be decided now, and we need to take care of the problem as soon as possible. No more going back, or changing our minds." He gave Rick a significant glance. Rick drew a deep breath and nodded.

"This is a young man's life!" Dale tried one last time, but no one nodded along with him. In fact, most people looked at the floor or at Rick.

"Anyone wants the floor before we make a final decision, now's the time," Rick said. The room was completely silent. Rosanna pressed closer to Daryl and to her surprise, his arm slid around her waist. She took a deep breath, relaxing in the comfort of his warmth, and looked up at him. He looked back down at her with understanding in his eyes.

Dale was almost crying. "Please. Let's just do what's right? I can't believe any of you aren't standing with me!"

"He's right," Andrea shocked everyone by saying. "We should find another way." The look Shane gave her could curdle milk. Dale stared at her with pride.

Rick was silent for a moment. "Anybody else?" he asked, looking at each person in turn. No one said a word. He nodded. "If you are with me, raise your hand." Shane, T-Dog, Glenn, Lori, Jimmy, Daryl, and Rosanna all raised their hands immediately. Carol, Maggie, Hershel, and Patricia's hands rose more slowly, but raised all the same. Andrea looked at Dale.

"Dale, I'm sorry, but we have no viable options," she said before her hand rose into the air.

Dale sobbed, covering his face. "Are you all going to watch him die, too?" he asked, his voice cracking as he crumpled his hat between his hands and walked out. Everyone looked at each other furtively.

"We'll wait until dark, then I'll shoot him," Rick said finally. The others stood up and began walking away. Daryl tightened his grip on Rosanna and led her out the side door. Without a word, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lighted one, and handed it to her. She took a deep drag gratefully.

"How'd you know I needed this?" she asked.

He shrugged, lighting his own cigarette. "Just did."

"Daryl, do you think we're doing the right thing?" The look on Dale's face as he went out the door haunted her. He looked at her, really looked, and suddenly drew her into his arms.

"Rosie-girl, we're doing the right thing. We're protecting our family." He paused for a moment. "The one thing Merle did right by me, was teaching me family comes first." She nestled close to his chest.

"God, Daryl, I hope so. I hope so."

"Dontcha worry, Rose." He released her all too soon, looking up at the sky. "It's gettin' dark."

She took the last drag of her cigarette and noticed Rick and Shane approaching them, looking grim. "Stay with me?" Rosanna asked.

"I'll stay with you until it's done Rose." He took her hand and they turned to face the men.

Rick looked at both of them, gripping a lantern tightly. "It's time. I'd like you both to be present."

Daryl and Rosanna both nodded and still, hand in hand, they followed Rick and Shane to the shed. "Shane's going to bring him out," Rick said quietly. Shane wasn't long in bringing Randall out of the shed, still in handcuffs, his face badly bruised, blood caked all over. Rosanna held Daryl's hand tighter as they silently followed them to the barn.

"Please, wait!" Randall cried as he was pulled into the barn by Rick and Shane. Rick went and put his lantern on a crate and turned to the boy.

"Put him there," Rick said, pointing at a spot in the middle of the barn. Daryl released Rosanna's hand and helped Shane push Randall into a kneeling position. Shane pulled out a blindfold and put it over Randall's eyes, tying it tightly in the back.

"This'll all be over soon," he whispered in Randall's ear.

"No, no no!" Randall begged as Rick pulled his gun and checked his ammo. Daryl and Shane stepped away from the kneeling boy and Daryl came to stand close to Rosanna. She stared at Randall, pushing down a growing feeling of horror in her stomach. Randall began to sob. Rick looked at Shane, who nodded.

"Do you have any last words?" Rick asked Randall solemnly.

"P . . . p . . . please! Don't do this!" Randall sobbed loudly. Rick took a deep breath and raised his gun. Daryl's arm came around Rosanna's shoulders and she pressed close to him. Shane watched calmly, his hands in his pockets. Rosanna heard a sound by the door and turned quickly.

"Rick," she said hoarsely. "Stop." All the men except Randall turned to see Carl standing inside the door of the barn, surveying the scene with interest.

"Do it, Dad!" Carl said, looking at Randall with an unfazed expression. "Do it!" Rosanna put her hands over her mouth. Rick looked as repelled as she felt. Shane shook his head and went for Carl, grabbing the boy by the back of his shirt and hauling him out of the barn. Rosanna could hear Shane berating him.

"Rick . . ." Rosanna said quietly to the man, who still had his gun trained on Randall's head. She swallowed. "Carl's gone now. Let's get this over with."

"It's got to be done," Daryl said. Rick's eyes glazed over with determination and he cocked his gun. The sound made Randall cry even harder. Rick stared down at the boy for a moment, then hung his head and lowered the gun.

"I can't do this," he said, running a hand over his face. Daryl stepped forward.

"I'll do it then," Daryl growled, reaching for the gun. Rick held it away from him.

"No." He turned away. "Take him back to the shed. Lock him up." Shane entered the barn in time to hear him and glared at Rick.

"Are you serious? Let's get this done!" he shouted.

"I said no!" Rick yelled back. "Now take him away!"

Rosanna and Daryl hurried forward, both of them concerned about the way Rick looked like he was suddenly going to be sick. They each took one of Randall's arms and hauled the young man down the driveway to the shed and locked the chains back on him in silence. When she removed his blindfold, Randall smiled at her. "Thank you, oh thank you!" he said.

"Shut up," Daryl told him, and gave him a punch in the gut. He nudged Rosanna toward the door. "Come on, Rosie." She followed him through the yard and to the camp, where the others sat in front of the fire waiting for news. Shane had just arrived, but Rick or Carl were behind the tents, talking quietly.

"So . . . it didn't happen?" Glenn asked. Daryl shook his head and exchanged an annoyed glance with Shane. Rosanna sighed and sat in a chair, noticing the affectionate look Carol gave Daryl that hardened when her gaze met Rosanna's.

"Carl was watching," Rosanna explained, looking at Lori, whose expression quickly turned horrified. "He told Rick to do it. Lori, he looked like he didn't care one way or another what happened to Randall." Lori clutched her stomach, and Rosanna jumped up to lead the older woman to a chair. She sat just as Rick and Carl appeared by the fire.

"We're going to keep Randall locked up for now," Rick announced. Everyone exchanged glances except Shane and Daryl, who both glared at Rick. Lori kept her eyes on her son.

"Carl, go to bed. Now," she said. Carl sighed and walked into the tent. Lori walked up to Rick and hugged him, pulling him away from the others so they could talk privately. Andrea stood up.

"I'm going to find Dale, and tell him what happened," she said quickly, pushing her gun into the waistband of her jeans.

"I'm going to go tell Dad and Patricia," Maggie told Glenn. She smiled at him as she turned away, making Rosanna realize she was relieved that Randall wasn't dead.

"This sounds like a good time for tea," Carol said, her voice flat as she began to fill the kettle.

"Sounds good to me," said T-Dog.

"Where did Dale go?" Rosanna asked.

"He walked off a while ago," T-Dog answered.

"He said he needed time to think," Glenn put in. "He didn't want to be around while . . . well, you know. But he took his rifle. He'll be fine." Everyone looked up as Lori and Rick came over to sit by the fire. They were about to take their seats when a scream echoed across the pasture.

The group shot up as one. Another scream rang out. Lori grabbed Carl from the tent and ran with him to the house, pushing him in the door. Andrea came running across the yard. Hershel, Maggie, and Patricia came out to the porch.

"What was that?" Maggie cried.

"I think it's Dale!" Glenn shouted back, already running towards the pasture.

Rosanna grabbed her swords from her tent and followed the group out onto Hershel's land. Thanks to her ability to see just as well in the dark as the day, she could see movement in the tall grass on the furthest end of the pasture, by the woods and headed in that direction. She passed the group, who were all running slightly away from the movement. They turned to follow her when Daryl pulled away from the group after Rosanna. Rosanna let out a screech of panic when she grew near enough to see Dale on the ground with a walker on top of him. She ran faster, not caring who saw her, drawing her sword as she smelled blood. A lot of it, and it wasn't walker blood.

She tackled the walker with a scream of fury, rolled with it for a few feet, and rammed her sword into its head. Dropping her sword, she turned to Dale and let out an anguished cry of denial. Dale's eyes were wide with suffering as she reached out to him, her gaze on his exposed intestines. "No. No, Dale. I ran as fast as I could! Dale, I'm so sorry. This is my fault!" She touched his hand as the others ran up, Daryl in the lead.

"Oh fuck. Dale!" Daryl shouted. "Buddy, hold on!" He dropped to his knees by the older man.

Rick fell on his knees on the other side of him. "Dale, oh shit, come on, Dale, just hold on! Hershel will be here in a minute. Just stay with me, man." Dale's mouth opened, but nothing came out but a harsh rasp.

"He's . . . he's suffering!" Andrea sobbed.

"Hershel! We need Hershel!" Rick shouted as Andrea knelt by Dale's head, her eyes filled with tears that dripped onto his face.

"It's my fault," Rosanna yanked at her hair. "It's my fault. I . . . I wasn't fast enough. I wasn't fast enough!" Daryl pulled her hands away from her head, bringing several strands of hair along with them as he pulled her into his arms.

"What happened?" Hershel asked shrilly as he ran up to the scene.

"Dale needs help, what can we do?" Rick cried. Hershel looked at Dale's stomach and his lips tightened.

"There's nothing I can do for this," he said quietly, looking sadly down at Dale.

"You have to try!" Rick shouted. Hershel shook his head.'

"There's nothing I can do," he repeated sadly. The sobbing that burst from the group was almost deafening. Rosanna pushed her face into Daryl's chest, her cries as loud as everyone else's.

"He's suffering," Andrea said again. Dale's groans of pain echoed through the night. Rosanna pulled her head out from under Daryl's arms when she heard the click of a gun being readied to shoot. Rick had his gun out, pointed in Dale's direction. Rosanna sobbed again but wouldn't look away, wanting to honor her friends by witnessing his passing. _I failed him._

Dale nodded his head toward the gun, still moaning, but his eyes were clear with intent. "Do it, please!" Rosanna cried. "He's in too much pain!" To her surprise, Andrea reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Do something!" Andrea shouted, her eyes on Dale. Rick aimed carefully at Dale's head, but his arm shook. Long moments passed. Andrea glared at him. "Do something _now_!"

Daryl gently released Rosanna and stood to take the gun. He pressed it to Dale's head. "I'm sorry, brother," he said quietly, and pulled the trigger.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen:

Rosanna spent most of the night crying into her pillow. She could hear Andrea crying in the RV, being comforted by Carol. Lori and Rick talked quietly in their tent. Carl had cried himself to sleep. T-Dog and Daryl stood guard, on the lookout for any more stray walkers. Glenn spent the night with Maggie up at the house. _My fault, my fault,_ kept running through Rosanna's mind. She thought of Dale, whose body lay covered with a blanket in the barn, waiting for burial. _Dale, I'm so sorry. I wasn't fast enough._ In no time, it was morning.

Rosanna pulled herself out of bed and went out by the fire. Carol began making breakfast while Lori offered everyone coffee. Rosanna accepted the coffee, but not the eggs. No one talked much. It wasn't long before T-Dog, Rick, and Daryl went out to the makeshift graveyard to dig Dale's grave. By mid-morning, it was ready, and Dale was lowered into the ground. The group all gathered silently around as Rick began to speak.

"Dale was the kind of guy who got under everyone's skin," he began. "He sure got under mine. He wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought. His honesty was rare. Brave. If I made a decision he didn't like, or he didn't think was the right thing to do, he'd look at me with that look he had, and he'd tell me what he thought. Every time. It was annoying sometimes, sure, but Dale wasn't the kind of man who just let people blunder through things. He'd speak up. Dale was also the kind of man who saw people for who they were. He knew the truth about all of us. In the end, he thought we were losing our humanity. He thought our group was broken. The best way to honor him is to show him we aren't broken. We're going to show him we can come together and do the right thing. From now on, we're going to do things his way. That is how we honor Dale."

Andrea began to sob as the men began filling the grave. The others clung to each other, all except Rosanna, who stood apart. She stood staring at Dale's final resting place long after the others all left. Daryl looked like he wanted to speak to her, but after seeing the look on her face, he walked away. Rosanna thought about what Rick had said about Dale, smiling through her tears as she recollected Dale's 'look' Rick had talked about. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I tried, but I wasn't fast enough. I'm sorry, Dale. And I promise, I will honor your memory by choosing right over wrong, even when it's hard. I will keep my humanity."

**A Couple of Hours Later**

"It's going to be crowded, all of us in the one house," Rick was saying to Hershel. Maggie and Beth stood next to their father as he explained he wanted everyone to move into the house for safety's sake.

"Don't worry about that," Hershel said with a gentle smile.

"All of these cattle wandering the pastures will draw in more walkers," Maggie said.

The offer to stay in the house came after T-Dog, Daryl, Shane, and Andrea had come back from checking the fences to report that they had found several walkers on the property, eating a cow. They had killed the walkers easily, but it scared many of the others to know there were walkers on the loose. Rosanna glanced around, knowing that a herd would ravage their little home if they wandered too close. The prospect of staying within four walls would be safer, but not by much. She eyed the many windows on the first floor of the farmhouse, knowing walkers would easily be able to get in.

She packed her gear and pulled down the tent in no time, as the others packed their own things and began moving them into the house. Rick was telling Daryl and Shane to move the vehicles closer to the farmhouse doors in case they needed to make a run for it. He also wanted a watcher in the windmill and the second floor of the barn at all times. Rosanna approved of his ideas. It would pull more people from duties around the farm, but they'd be able to keep an eye on the property much easier.

"We should keep some food, water, and blankets in the cars," she said to Rick as she passed by with an armful of her blankets. "In case we need to leave in a hurry." Rick nodded at her, pleased by the idea.

"She's right," Rick said. "Maggie, Beth, can you see to that?" The girls nodded and walked off to do their chore. Rick began assigning duties to the others. Rosanna continued to bring her things into the house, but it only took one trip. She didn't have much, just her backpack, blankets, pillow, swords, revolvers, and extra clothing Maggie had given her. By the time she was done, Rick was telling Shane that he and Daryl would be taking Randall off the farm to let him go.

"Are you serious?" Shane asked. "We're back to that again?" They began to argue, but Rosanna walked away to help Lori carry boxes into the house. When she came back out, Hershel and Rick approached her.

"Rose, I need you to help Hershel keep an eye on things while Daryl and I are gone," Rick said. He lowered his voice. "I especially need you to keep an eye on Shane. He's not happy with us letting Randall go."

"I can do that," she agreed.

"I've about lost my patience with that man," Hershel said. "He's got to understand, it's what Rick and I say that goes around here. Not whatever he wants."

"So am I keeping an eye on things in general, or just keeping an eye on Shane?" Rosanna asked. "You know he doesn't like me much. He's going to question why I'm following him around."

"I'm going to ask Andrea to help you watch him," said Rick patiently.

"Is there anything in particular I'm watching out for?"

"Just . . . anything suspicious. Don't confront him, just let me know what he's up to and I'll take care of it when I get back."

"Right," Rosanna said. Rick nodded and he and Hershel went on into the house. Rosanna started to walk over to see if she could help bring anything else in when she saw Carl looking forlorn, all by himself at the end of the driveway. "Hey kiddo," she said as she got closer. He looked at her with tears his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I . . . I need to talk to you," he said quietly. She looked up and caught Lori's eye.

"Carl and I are going to walk to the end of the driveway and back," she told his mother, who gave her a nod. The two of them began to walk slowly down the driveway. When they were a reasonable distance from the house, Carl stopped her and pulled a gun out of his waistband.

"What the hell are you doing with that, Carl?" Rosanna asked incredulously. He handed her the gun and put his hands in his pockets.

"I stole it from Daryl," he answered. "I want you to put it back for me. If he finds out I took it, he'd be really mad at me."

"Carl, why did you take it?"

He shuffled his feet around. "Dale. It's my fault he died." Rosanna's mouth dropped open.

"No, honey. It . . . it's _my_ fault. I couldn't reach him in time."

"No, Rose, you don't understand!" Carl cried. "I saw that walker by the creek! I was gonna shoot it, but it came after me and I got scared and ran. I didn't tell anyone. I didn't kill it like I should have. If i would have, Dale would still be here."

Rosanna drew the boy into a hug. For some reason, she felt better. It wasn't her fault Dale had died, nor was it Carl's. It was all just a horrible strike of fate. Carl sobbed in her arms while she patted his back, murmuring soothingly. When he stopped crying, she took his face in her hands.

"Sweetie, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't. You couldn't have known what was going to happen. Yes, you should have told someone about the walker, but any one of those walkers who Daryl and the others killed today could have been in the same spot at the same time as Dale, and the same thing could have happened. It wasn't your fault. Do you understand?" He nodded and flew back into her arms, squeezing her tightly. "Now dry those tears, Carl, you don't want to worry your mom, do you?" He shook his head. "Let's head back." She took his hand and they went back to the house.

Rosanna accepted a cup of tea from Lori while they took a break from settling into their new spaces. "Hershel insisted that Rick, Carl, and I take his room," Lori said with a wry smile.

"That's nice of him," Rosanna answered, sipping her tea.

"I just think things are going to look up from here on out," Lori continued. "We're safely in the house, we have food and water, we have each other."

"I'm happy to have a place with you all," Rosanna told her, smiling. "I thought things would be easier by myself, but the loneliness was just too much. Having a family is just what I needed. Even with the heartbreak of losing someone, I'm still thankful to be with you guys."

They both looked down for a moment, thinking of Dale. "Well I'm glad you brought Daryl back to us," Lori told her. "You've become family in such a short time. I'm happy you're here, Rosanna." She patted Rosanna's arm. "I always wanted sisters, now I feel like I have them in you, Carol, and Maggie. T-Dog, Glenn and Daryl are like brothers. Hershel's like a dad. Everyone else holds a place in my heart as well. I guess the end of the world is what caused this: a group of totally different people who probably wouldn't even be friends in our old lives, all coming together and becoming a family. This reality is horrible, but at least one good thing came out of it."

Rosanna studied her mug, clasping her hands around it for the warmth. "I know what you mean. I always thought my family life was great, it was only me and my dad, but we loved each other and did almost everything together. He made his life revolve around me. He was never interested in dating anyone else after my mom died. I made him try a couple of times, but being around women made him too sad. He told me he could never love any other woman but Mom, and he was just going to wait until he could see her on the other side."

"That's so sweet," Lori sighed, her eyes glinting with tears. She shrugged her shoulders like she was trying to remove tension. "Your father sounds like he was a wonderful man."

"He was. He was like Hershel in a way. Calm, collected, soft-spoken. Naive when it came to people. But he was also like Daryl in a way too. A master hunter and tracker, knew how to survive in the woods. Not afraid to get things done."

"You know, I always considered Daryl to be an outsider, until just recently," Lori mused. "I was impressed with his diligence in looking for Sophia, but when you came along, he really started to shape up. He was still an asshole at times, don't get me wrong, but he changed." She eyed Rosanna. "Anything going on between you two?"

Rosanna stared at her, surprised. "What? Of course not! We're just friends . . .sometimes. Other times, he acts like he hates me." Lori rolled her eyes.

"That's just his way. He's got a soft side. Look at how he is with Carol."

Rosanna felt surprisingly jealous. "What do you mean?"

"He can still be an ass to her, don't get me wrong. But usually he acts more gentle, his voice gets all caring, and he gives her flowers." Lori shrugged. "But with you, he just looks _happy_. And I've seen the two of you standing very close together. Touching." Her eyebrows waggled.

"Okay, I get what you're saying," Rosanna said when her mind finally caught up to what Lori was telling her. "But I think you're wrong. He just thinks of me as a part of the group. I contribute, and I can hunt, but that's how he can tolerate me. I don't think he likes me _that_ way."

Lori's eyes danced with amusement as she surveyed Rosanna over her shoulder. "You don't have much experience with men, do you?"

Rosanna's mouth dropped open. "I . . . I have too! Well . . ." she admitted upon reflection. "Not much."

"Well let me tell you something, honey," Lori said. "I know the kind of man Daryl is. He's the teddy bear hidden under the mask of a tough guy. He doesn't want to feel, but he feels too much. So he hides it. I've never seen him treat anyone like he treats you."

"Everyone treats me nice, well, except Shane. Andrea's cordial. Daryl's just being nice."

Rick came in, followed by Daryl. Rosanna turned red, and Lori turned away. "Can we talk, Rose?" Rick asked. Rosanna nodded and followed the two out onto the porch, where Rick held a map. "We're going to leave soon," Rick said. "We may be gone past dark. This is the area where we'll be dropping Randall off." He pointed to a spot on the map. "Carol's packing a bag with provisions for him."

"So we're finally going to actually get rid of this kid?" Daryl asked.

"Yes. This time, no matter what, we're leaving him." Rick massaged his temples. "We're taking him in the opposite direction from the town on purpose. Hopefully, he will never meet up with his group." He looked at Rosanna. "I want three people on watch at all times. One on the RV, one in the hayloft, one on the windmill. Shane's putting up boards there so whoevers on watch can be up there safely."

"All right," Rosanna agreed. They watched as Shane pulled up in Maggie's SUV. Daryl stood up with an annoyed look on his face.

"I'm gonna take a piss," Daryl said as he strode away. Rick rolled his eyes. Shane walked up to them, hands in his jacket pockets.

"So you're really gonna do this?" he asked. Rick nodded.

"Yep. I told Rosanna how it's going to be while Daryl and I are gone." Shane glared at Rosanna.

"So she's in charge?" he spat. Rick shook his head.

"No. I'm in charge, whether I'm here or not. I just told Rosanna what I expect while we're doing this."

"You can't tell all of us yourself?" Shane asked. "Putting her in charge of telling everyone what to do means you're putting her in charge of this group. That's as stupid of an idea as letting that kid go."

"Look Shane, you don't have to like my decisions, you just have to abide by them," Rick said sternly. "This is my call, not yours." Rosanna was surprised when Shane didn't argue.

"Why don't I just ride out with Daryl?" Shane asked. "We can take care of this, and you can stay here and order everyone around."

"Nope. I need you here," Rick answered, raising his eyebrow.

"Okay, fine," Shane said, glaring at Rosanna again before he stalked away.

"You see why I need you to watch him?" Rick asked Rosanna, his gaze following Shane. Rosanna nodded.

"He's going to snap soon, Rick, I can feel it."

"I know."

Rosanna passed by Beth and Jimmy, who were boarding up the first floor windows of the farmhouse as she followed Patricia into the house and down to the basement, where they were storing bags of potatoes, onions, and other provisions. She was carrying the last bag of potatoes for the older woman. They both jerked their head up as T-Dog began shouting outside. The two women looked at each other and hurried upstairs.

"He's just _gone_ ," T-Dog was telling Rick and the others as they gathered around outside. "The door was locked. The handcuffs are still there, covered in blood. But Randall's gone."

"Fuck," Daryl said as Rick stared at T-Dog in disbelief.

"He's missing?" Maggie asked. T-Dog nodded. The group wandered nervously out into the yard, following Rick as he hurried towards the shed to see for himself. Rosanna followed, but stopped when she smelled fresh blood. And it wasn't Randall's. Her gaze fell on the tree line straight to Shane, who was rising from a kneeling position in the trees just beyond the yard. His face was covered with blood.

"The cuffs are still there, just like T-Dog said," Rick was saying as she jogged up to him.

"Shane's in the woods and he's bleeding," Rosanna whispered in his ear. Rick took one look at her serious face and walked out into the yard. Shane was approaching them. It looked like his nose had been broken. Rosanna stared at him suspiciously. His scent was more putrid smelling than usual. She leaned up to Rick. "Something's going on," she said quickly. "There's something not right about Shane." Rick glanced down, frowning, before turning his attention to Shane.

"RIck! Rick!" Shane shouted as he strode forward. "That little bastard got me! He stole my gun! He snuck up on me and hit me in the face!" His gaze met Rosanna's and in that moment she knew he was lying. She looked up at Rick as he started giving out orders.

"T-Dog, Andrea, and Hershel, get everyone into the house and make sure all the doors and windows are locked. Glenn, Rosanna, Daryl, you have your weapons on you. Shane, borrow Andrea's gun. Come with me. We're going to find him."

"Just let him go," Carol said. "Isn't that what we wanted to do anyway?"

"Not while he's got a gun and he's in our front yard," Rick said angrily as he turned away. "Hurry up everyone, get in the house now!" Rosanna pulled out her swords as she followed Rick and the others towards the woods.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen:

"I saw him go that way," Shane said, pointing to his left as they entered the woods. Rosanna sniffed, but there was no scent of Randall's left behind. She was sure he hadn't gone that way, and began looking for clues as to where Randall might have actually gone. Her nose picked up a scent heading northeast, away from where Shane had pointed, but she didn't say anything. She had no evidence besides her sense of smell, and she couldn't tell the others that was how she knew they were going the wrong way. She stopped and looked at Rick.

"I think we should split up," she said. Rick nodded.

"Good idea," he answered. To Rosanna's surprise, Shane didn't argue. In fact, he looked quite happy.

"Right, Rick and I will go this way," he said, pointing in the direction he had before. "You and Glenn and Daryl go that way." He pointed in the opposite direction, his eyes looking surprisingly intense. Rosanna hesitated.

 _Something's not right. I don't like this,_ she thought.

"Come on, let's go!" Shane commanded. Daryl glanced at him.

"You're tellin' me that skinny little kid got the jump on you?" he asked Shane. Shane glared at him.

"Don't you tell me what happened and what didn't!" Shane yelled. "Do you not see the blood on my face?"

"Okay, knock it off," Rick told them. "Let's get going. Come on, Shane."

Rosanna took one more look at Shane as his expression flashed with triumph, changing quickly when he noticed her looking. He scowled and followed Rick in the opposite direction. She rushed to catch up with Rick. "Be careful," she said, glancing at Shane meaningfully. Rick nodded and walked off, Shane behind him. She watched until they crossed the creek. "Can you see any tracks?" she asked Daryl when the others were out of hearing distance.

"Nope," Daryl said, shaking his head. "He couldn't have come this way."

"Let's go this way," Rosanna said, pointing in the direction of Randall's scent.

"Everyone keep your eyes open," Glenn said. "Randall's not the only threat out here." Rosanna and Daryl nodded and Daryl took point, keeping his crossbow ready as he surveyed the woods around them. Rosanna followed her nose, looking for tracks, and Glenn warily kept an eye on their backs.

"Look here," Rosanna said, pointing to a print. "We're going the right way." She saw nothing else, however, Randall's scent grew stronger. To her surprise, she could also smell Shane's rotten stench. She mashed her lips together in worry and kept going. It grew dark quickly, and Glenn pulled out a flashlight, but Daryl made him put it away. Rosanna kept her eyes on the surrounding area. Suddenly, an owl flew out of a tree, startling them.

"Shit," Glenn said, watching the grey shape of the bird fly away through the trees. Daryl gave the owl a fleeting look before turning his attention to the ground.

"This is pointless," Daryl said. "Let me see your light, Glenn." Rosanna went ahead while the men fiddled with the flashlight.

"Look!" she cried, pointing at the ground. "Someone's been here recently!"

"There's two sets of tracks," Daryl agreed as Glenn looked on curiously. "They're almost right on top of each other." Rosanna nodded.

"It's suspicious. What the hell went on here?" She sniffed and looked behind her, On a tree trunk was a splash of fresh blood, and it was Shane's. It smelled rotten, just like him. "Look, guys," she said, pointing to the tree. Daryl flashed the light on it and drew in his breath. His puzzled gaze met Rosanna's.

"Why would there be blood on a tree?" Glenn asked, his brow furrowed.

"Maybe Randall slammed Shane's face into it?" Rosanna mused. "But why would Shane be standing with his face so close to the tree?"

"Was he takin' a piss?" Daryl asked. She shook her head.

"There's no wet spot here, no smell of pee."

"This is weird, guys," Glenn said.

"There's more tracks," Daryl announced, moving away from the tree.

"They're walking together," Rosanna pointed out. "What the hell?" She motioned towards the ground, where it looked like a scuffle took place.

"Somethin' went down here," Daryl shone the light slowly over the area.

Something crackled in the trees behind them, and Rosanna turned quickly, holding her swords in a defensive position. She smelled the rot of a walker, but to her surprise, the rot smell was nowhere near as pungent as it should be. Daryl pulled her behind a tree. The shuffling sound of a walker coming closer got louder. Rosanna looked at Daryl and Glenn, mouthing 'I'll do it,' and before they could react, she leaped from behind the tree and beheaded the walker with one sword while slamming the other sword's blade into its temple as the head bounced off the ground. She took a deep breath and looked, really looked at the walker.

"Holy shit, it's Randall!" she cried. They all stood around the corpse, stunned.

"It can't be . . . was he bitten?" asked Glenn before he glanced around with a terrified look. Daryl knelt beside Randall and checked him over.

"Not bitten. Got his neck broke."

"Impossible," Rosanna said. "You only turn once you get bitten . . ."

"Look for yourself," said Daryl soberly. She knelt beside him and checked Randall for wounds, finding none. She leaned back on her heels. "See what I mean?" he said, nudging the corpse's head with his crossbow.

"How is that possible?" Glenn cut in quietly. "No bites, but he's a walker?" The three exchanged glances. "This is too weird."

"Let's get back to the house and tell the others," Rosanna said, getting up. They hurried away, saying nothing to each other on the way back to the house.

"What did you find?" Andrea asked worriedly as the others surrounded them when they entered the living room.

"Where's Rick?" Lori's eyes were filled with fear.

"Rick and Shane went another direction. But we found Randall," said Rosanna, looking at Glenn, who was hugging Maggie. He pulled away from his girlfriend and looked at her.

"He's a walker," Daryl told everyone, his face an impassive mask.

"Did you find the walker that bit him?" asked Hershel, his hands in his pockets.

"There was no other walker," Rosanna answered. "There were no bite marks or scratches on Randall's body. We checked."

"His neck was broke," Daryl affirmed. "No bites." He explained every strange thing they had found in the woods, from the blood on the tree to Randall and Shane's tracks being right on top of each other. Lori stepped forward, putting her hands on Daryl's shoulders.

"Will you please, please find my husband and find out what's going on?" she asked, her expression terrified. Daryl nodded and started out the back door. Rosanna followed him, along with T-Dog and Andrea. The second they went outside, a gunshot echoed out from one of the furthest pastures.

"What the hell was that?" she asked. Daryl shrugged.

"I don't know, but it can't be good," he murmured.

"Maybe they found the walker that bit Randall," Andrea said. Rosanna shook her head.

"I told you, there were no bite marks. Randall wasn't bitten."

Andrea crossed her arms. "That's impossible. You have to be bit to turn. I've seen it before."

"So have I, Andrea. I'm not claiming to know the answers, but it is what it is. There were no wounds of any kind, except for the broken neck."

"She's right," Daryl said. "Somethin' strange is goin' on here." He looked at Rosanna.

"How do you want to do this?"

"I think you and I should head towards the gunshot. T-Dog, Andrea and Glenn should stay here and protect the others."

"I can come with you," Andrea insisted. "I'm a good shot, and you might need backup."

"Not gonna argue with that," said Daryl. Rosanna nodded.

"Okay . . ." She started to agree, but she froze. The rancid smell of a herd of walkers filled her nostrils. "Be quiet, everyone!" she hissed. Everyone looked at her. She closed her eyes and listened, hearing the sound of moans and growls out in the pasture, coming from the direction of the gunshot. "Shit!" she whispered, looking out across the grass.

"What?" Daryl asked quietly, coming to stand beside her.

"Walkers. A herd, coming straight at us!" she murmured. The others looked shocked.

"How can you tell?" Andrea asked, looking worried. "I don't see anything."

"Look!" Rosanna almost snarled, pointing out by the barn, where hundreds of walkers appeared in the moonlight. Andrea squeaked, her hands on her mouth. Hershel and the others came outside.

"Oh my God!" Lori cried as she saw the walkers.

"Patricia, kill the lights!" Hershel ordered.

"We have to get out of here!" Carol whispered.

"Should we just go inside?" Glenn asked. Daryl shook his head.

"There's too many. They'll tear down the house. There'd be no way out if we get stuck in there."

Rosanna eyed the herd. "We can't fight this many. We have to leave."

"We can't leave the farm behind, how will we live?" Maggie asked. Rosanna put her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"We'll make it, you'll see," Rosanna answered.

"Oh my God, Carl's gone!" Lori hurried up to them. "I can't find him anywhere!"

"What, I thought he was upstairs!" Rosanna cried before rushing inside. She hurried through every room in the house, sniffing for Carl's scent, but the smell was faint in the room he had been waiting in earlier. Carl was definitely not in the house. She rushed back outside, where the others were still talking of leaving.

"I'm not going without my son!" Lori declared. Carol took her arm.

"Let's go look again. Maybe he's hiding."

Rosanna shook her head. "He's not in the house." She scanned the area around the farmhouse, noticing that a group of walkers were pushing at the door of the barn. "Look!" she said, pointing. "There's got to be someone in the barn! Maybe it's Carl." Lori's hands flew to her mouth and she looked like she was going to hyperventilate. Maggie and Hershel strode out of the house with a bag of guns that Maggie immediately began to pass out.

"What's all this?" Glenn asked. "We need to get out of here!"

"I was born here, and I'm going to die here," Hershel said calmly. "Whoever wants to leave should do it now. I'm staying to protect the farm."

"They've got too many," Daryl said, waving a hand at the herd.

"We've got guns, and we've got cars," Hershel replied, loading his shotgun.

"We'll kill as many as we can from a distance," Andrea put in as she made sure her own gun was loaded and ready. "Hopefully we can thin them out and then we'll go at them hand to hand, or lead the rest off the farm."

Daryl and Rosanna shared a concerned glance. She knew what he was thinking. _There are too many. They'll kill us all._ She found herself thinking of what Beth thought during her depression. That they would all die being eaten alive by walkers. Rosanna knew she healed fast, but she didn't think she'd be able to heal a bunch of walker bites at once, especially if they were eating her flesh. _We should get in the cars and get the hell out of here the moment we find Carl and Rick._ But at the same time, Rosanna knew she couldn't leave Hershel. She could tell from his expression that he was absolutely set on staying. Staring back at Daryl, she gave him a nod. He shrugged a shoulder and looked at Hershel.

"If you're stayin', we're stayin'. It's a good night to die." He met Rosanna's gaze and she smiled at him.

"Let's get this over with," she said to the group. They looked back at her with expressions of determination and fear as they rushed for the vehicles and pulled them out into the pasture. Rosanna stood in the back of the blue pickup, sniffing the air as T-Dog drove her and Andrea towards the walkers. She was amazed to smell smoke, and noticed the barn was on fire. Daryl pulled up to the fence in his motorcycle and drew his gun, shooting walkers with deadly efficiency. T-Dog began driving along the fenceline and Andrea and Rosanna began to shoot.

Rosanna relied on her superb sense of balance to keep upright in the truck and be able to shoot with accuracy. She took down walker after walker, pausing only to reload her revolvers as T-Dog drove them up and down the fenceline. Maggie drove her SUV as well, with Glenn shooting. Rosanna could hear nothing but the adrenaline rushing in her ears and the sound of gunshots, could smell nothing but the rot of the walkers and the acrid smoke in the air. Many of the walkers were heading towards the barn, but most were coming after the vehicles. She noticed Daryl drive off to Jimmy in the RV, just as the fence he was parked by was knocked down by walkers.

"Shit!" T-Dog shouted as he hit a walker with the truck, swerving around in a U-turn. Rosanna quickly adjusted her balance to keep from being thrown out. "Rose, you okay?"

"Fine. Keep going!" she shouted back, raising her weapons again. She noticed the RV heading towards the barn. Her guns started clicking, letting her know she was out of ammo. "Shit! Guys I'm all out!" Andrea leaned out of the window.

"Me too!" she yelled. "We gotta go back."

"There's too many, and they're going for the house! We need to get everyone and get the hell out of here while we still can!" Rosanna answered. Andrea nodded and pulled back into the truck as it swerved towards the house. Hershel stood in front of it, shooting the walkers with his shotgun, but he wasn't making hardly any leeway. They were still coming. Rosanna jumped off the back of the truck and drew her swords, killing the few walkers that had come close to the house.

Carol and Lori were arguing on the porch. "We have to leave!" Carol was saying.

"I can't leave without my boy!" Lori screamed.

"We can't stay here!" Carol said quietly. Lori pulled at her hair.

"Okay. Okay. Get the others." Carol ran into the house, coming out quickly with Beth and Patricia.

"Lori, Carol's right!" Rosanna said, touching Lori's arm. "Get in the truck, I'll take another sweep of the house and I'll check the closest outbuildings for Carl." Lori sobbed and took off. Rosanna ran for Hershel. "Hershel, we've got to go! Get in the cars with the others!" He ignored her. Rosanna gritted her teeth and ran as quickly as she could through the house, searching for Carl. The only thing she stopped for was her backpack, simply because it held more ammo. She ran back outside, flying at the walkers with her swords as she killed one, then another, and another, until she felt like a blur of motion. Walkers fell all around her as she searched the shed, the chicken coop, and any other place Carl could be. As she came back around the house, screams filled her ears.

Patricia was on the ground, surrounded by walkers ripping chunks out of her flesh. Rosanna ran toward her, glancing up as the blue truck sped out of the driveway. She saw Beth's tear filled eyes and Lori's horrified gaze staring at Patricia as T-Dog drove them away, spraying gravel everywhere. There was only one thing to be done and Rosanna did it. She quickly put a bullet in one of her revolvers and shot Patricia in the head. Andrea ran up beside her, shooting walkers as quickly as she could. "Lori said Carol was still here!" she yelled.

"I'll find her! You get the hell out of here!"

"I'm going to get Hershel first!" said Andrea as she took off. Rosanna ran in the direction Andrea had pointed and found Carol surrounded by walkers. Rosanna leaped into them, brandishing her swords in a macabre dance of death as she cut through the walkers heads. Carol stared at her with tears in her eyes.

"Go get in the Suburban, Andrea's going to get Hershel and we're going to get the hell out of here!" Rosanna said, grabbing Carol by the arm and practically dragging her there. Once Carol was inside the vehicle, Rosanna slammed the door and turned around. To her surprise and relief, Rick appeared pulling Hershel along, with Carl running right behind. "Where's Andrea? She was supposed to get Hershel. And where's Daryl and Maggie and Glenn?" Rosanna asked.

"I don't know. Where's Lori?" he asked hurriedly as he pushed Hershel into the Suburban.

"Gone. You guys get out of here, I'm going to look for Andrea!"

"Get in the fucking truck, Rosanna!" Rick yelled as Carl got in and was immediately hugged by Carol.

"Not without Andrea!" she said, running off. She heard the Suburban start up and head for the road. "Andrea! Andrea!" she cried, looking around as she killed the walkers that stood in her way. "Andrea!" She smelled the stench of rot behind her and flipped around, but to her utter shock, the walker passed by her without interest. She froze as other walkers surrounded her, but kept on going like she wasn't there. Suddenly remembering herself, she started to run, calling out for Andrea. But there was no answer. _She's either dead or gone. And Daryl . . . God, where is he?_ Rosanna drew in a deep breath and decided to get the hell out of there herself. She headed for the driveway, swords drawn, killing each walker she came across.

"Rosanna!" came a male voice from the driveway. Rosanna looked up to see Daryl on his motorcycle, headed her way. She began to run, weaving around walkers, straight to Daryl as he pulled up in front of her. "Get on!" he yelled, and she leaped up behind him. She took one last glance at the farm as they sped down the driveway, away from the carnage.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen:

"How are we going to find them?" Rosanna asked Daryl as he urinated by a tree. He zipped his pants up and turned to her.

"Don't know."

"Shit," Rosanna wiped her forehead. "We should have planned for this. We should have planned a meeting point!"

"Too late now," Daryl pointed out. Rosanna sighed. "It'll be light soon. We'll look then."

"Was there anyplace that meant anything to you all?" Rosanna asked. "Somewhere you stayed before the farm?"

Daryl shrugged. "Last place we were was the highway, when we were looking for Sophia." Rosanna brightened.

"That's a good of place as any to start! Why don't we go there now?"

"Get on then," he told her as he climbed on his motorcycle. She threw a leg over, but stopped him from starting the engine when she heard a vehicle approach.

"Listen!" Rosanna looked behind them and almost clapped with excitement as Maggie's green SUV drove slowly up the road. Rosanna jumped off the bike and waved. Glenn pulled the car up and Maggie flew out of the car into Rosanna's arms.

"Thank God," Maggie cried. "Have you seen my dad?" Rosanna nodded.

"As far as I know, Hershel, Rick, Carol, and Carl left in one vehicle, and Lori, T-Dog, and Beth left in the truck," Rosanna answered. She put her hands on Maggie's shoulders. "Patricia didn't make it. She was attacked." Maggie's eyes teared up and her hands flew to her mouth.

"Oh no!" Maggie moaned as Glenn came up and put his arm around her after he and Daryl clapped each other on the back.

"What about Shane? Or Jimmy and Andrea?" Glenn asked.

"I never saw Jimmy or Shane, and I lost Andrea. She ran off to get Hershel, but that's the last I saw of her," Rosanna answered quietly. Glenn shuffled his feet and looked grim. "We were thinking of checking out the spot where you guys were on the highway where you lost Sophia," Rosanna continued. "It's the only spot Daryl can think of that everyone may have met up."

"That's where we were headed," Glenn smiled. "Let's go." Rosanna got behind Daryl and Maggie joined Glenn in the SUV. They took several different roads, steering through small groups of walkers, until they came up on a familiar blue truck parked on the side of the road.

"Maggie!" Beth shouted as she jumped out of the truck and ran for her sister.

"Did any of you see Carl or Rick?" Lori asked with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, they're with Hershel in the Suburban," Rosanna answered. Lori lifted her face to the sky.

"Thank God," she whispered before hugging Rosanna and Glenn. Daryl stayed on his motorcycle.

"We should get goin'," he said.

"We're headed to the highway," Lori said, nodding at T-Dog.

"I still say it's a bad idea," he grumbled. "We need to head for the coast."

"And I told you I'm not leaving without my son and husband."

"Whatever. Let's just go," Daryl said, jerking his head at Rosanna to tell her to get on. She climbed up behind him and waved at the others.

Rosanna let out a sigh of relief when they came up on the Suburban. She could see Rick, Hershel, and Carl with grins on their faces as they watched them pull up. Everyone was out of their cars and hugging within a matter of seconds. Rosanna watched with tears in her eyes as Rick embraced his wife, with Carl squished between them. Carol ran up and hugged Daryl. Hershel was hugging Beth and Maggie, his tears evident as he thanked his God. To her surprise, Daryl gently pushed Carol away and came and put an arm around her. Rosanna leaned into his chest, tears falling. When everyone was finally calmed down, Rick eyed the group.

"How'd you guys find each other?" he asked Daryl.

"I picked up Rose from the farm," Daryl answered. "I was takin' a piss when these two showed up," he motioned at Glenn and Maggie. "Then we found those three by the side of the road." He nodded at T-Dog, Beth, and Lori. He looked at Rick. "Where's the rest of us?"

"You're the only ones who made it so far," Rick answered, a guilty look on his face. Rosanna scrunched her nose as she looked at him. He smelled like Shane's blood.

Lori stood up from where she was kneeling by her son. "Shane?" she asked Rick. He shook his head.

"He didn't make it," Rick told his wife. His eyes didn't meet hers when he spoke.

"What about Andrea or Patricia?" Hershel asked.

"I couldn't find Andrea, and Patricia . . ." Rosanna shook her head.

"She's gone, Daddy," Maggie patted her father's shoulder. Hershel took a ragged breath and looked down.

"Jimmy?" Beth's little voice piped up. This time Rick shook his head.

"He was in the RV. It got overrun." Beth started to sob again.

"I'm gonna go back, look for Andrea," Daryl said, stepping towards his motorcycle.

"No," Rick cut his hand through the air.

"I can't just leave her there," Daryl eyed Rick sullenly.

"She's not there. She either left, or she's dead," Rick almost snarled. Rosanna could tell the sheriff was about to lose it. "We need to get out of here, it's not safe." Just as he said that, Rosanna smelled rot and walked over to dispatch the walker headed their way. It was at that time she noticed she herself was covered in gore and stank badly.

"Is there a creek nearby?" Rosanna asked. "I'd like to wash up." Daryl nodded at her.

"There's one, not far. We can be back in twenty minutes if we hurry."

"Is that okay?" she asked Rick.

"That's fine. We'll look over our supplies while you're gone. It was good you reminded us to keep blankets and food in the vehicles. It'll tide us over for a few days." Rick surveyed Rosanna and Daryl. "You two hurry up."

Rosanna fell into step with Daryl as he led her through the woods. He was right, it wasn't long before they came upon a small creek. Daryl turned away, keeping watch as Rosanna stripped her clothes and washed herself as best she could before putting on some clean shorts and a shirt from her pack. She also pulled up some moss and cleaned her swords, then loaded her revolvers with the last of her ammo. After wrapping her hair into a low bun, she looked over at Daryl. "I'm done," she said softly, coming up to touch his arm. He pulled her into a hug.

"I'm glad most of us made it," he said into her hair. "I'm glad _you_ made it, Rosie." Daryl pulled back and looked her in the eyes. "You aren't hurt? I should'a asked before." Rose shook her head, her gaze traveling down to his full lips.

"I'm fine, Daryl." He grunted and let her go, turning back the way they came. She fell into step behind him. "Rick looks like he's going to blow a gasket," she commented. Daryl grunted again.

"He's the leader, and we just lost four people. Right after losing Dale. And Shane was a dick, but he and Rick go way back. Rick's just grieving."

"Something happened out there," Rosanna mused. "Rick's not acting right."

"How should he be actin'?"

"I don't know. I just have this gut feeling that something's wrong."

"Something _is_ wrong. We just lost everything, Rose." She didn't answer him, but kept walking until they got back to the highway.

"All right," Rick said as they approached. "We've got enough food for at least a week if we ration carefully. We've got enough water for a few days, so we need to be on the lookout for a good source once we're out. There's not enough blankets for everybody, so we'll have to take shifts, except for Carl and Beth. They won't be taking watch, so they'll have their own blankets. Does anyone disagree with this?" When no one spoke up he nodded and continued. "We'll go east, like T-Dog suggested. We're going to take back roads. We'll keep on the lookout for gas and scavenge any building that looks like it may have supplies. We're leaving the blue truck here since we can all fit in the Suburban and Maggie's car. Hopefully we can find gas before one of us runs out. Any questions?"

"Do we have a specific destination in mind?" Rosanna asked.

"No. What we're looking for right now is a place we can safely spend the night. After that, we're going to be on the lookout for a place we can hole up in and make safe, at least until after Lori gives birth." The others nodded in agreement. "If that's it, then let's get going."

"Ride with me," Daryl said to Rosanna as he walked towards his motorcycle. She got on behind him and they followed Rick's Suburban off the highway.

****A Few Hours Later****

Rick honked the horn of the Suburban, and Daryl pulled his motorcycle off the road. Behind them, Glenn also pulled over, followed by Rick. Everyone got out and came together in the middle of the road. "What's wrong?" Daryl asked.

"Runnin' on fumes," Rick answered gruffly.

"We can't stay here," Maggie said, clutching her gun tightly.

"We all can't fit in one car," Glenn told her, kicking a rock across the road and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"We'll have to make a run for gas in the morning," Rick said. "It's getting dark anyway."

"Spend the night _here_?" Carol asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Rick. He shrugged and began pacing.

"Any better ideas?" Rick retorted. Carol's lips tightened.

"I'm cold!" Carl said, jumping up and down and rubbing his arms. Rosanna opened her backpack and pulled out a hoodie, handing it to the little boy. He smiled at her and sighed in relief.

"We can start a fire," Lori said hesitantly, looking at her husband.

"If you look for firewood, you need to stay close," Daryl said before Rick could reply. He looked over at the sheriff. "How are we on ammo?"

Rick continued his pacing. "Not enough. We're pretty low."

"We can't just stand around here with our asses hanging out!" Maggie said quickly. Hershel gave her a look.

"Hush your mouth. Everyone just calm down and listen to Rick," the old man said quietly.

"Ok, we'll stay the night here, set up a perimeter," Rick told the group. "We'll look for gas in the morning and push on."

"We can go look now," Maggie told him. Rick shook his head.

"No. We stay together. I don't want anyone stranded without a car."

"We're stranded _now_ ," Glenn cut in.

"Look, I know everything seems like we've lost everything," Rick told him. He looked around at the group. "But we haven't. We found each other. That's a miracle in itself. I know we lost people, but none of us are alone. We have food and water and blankets. We have guns and some ammo. We have to stay together, protect each other."

"Rick, there's walkers everywhere," Glenn ventured, but Rick motioned with his hand, cutting him off.

"No. We can't think like that. We'll find shelter. We'll find a place that we can make safe, somewhere we can live, grow crops . . . Somewhere there _has_ to be a place. We'll find it, I know we will!"

"We thought the farm was safe!" Maggie cried tearfully. "Look what happened there! We'll never know if a place will be safe forever! All it takes is one herd and we've got to start over!"

"Rick is right, honey," Hershel said calmly, putting a hand on his daughter's arm. "We have to have hope, or this world will destroy us." Maggie looked like she wanted to say more, but she looked at Beth's scared face and pressed her lips together tightly. Rick walked over to the other side of the road and pointed at some rundown stone walls.

"We'll make camp there tonight. Then we'll head out at dawn tomorrow." The group glanced at each other. Carol walked up to Daryl and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Does this feel right to you?" she asked, looking over at Rick with anger in her eyes. Daryl shrugged and moved away from her.

"What if another group comes through here?" Beth ventured to ask. "One like Randall's?" Rick looked at her to answer but Daryl cut him off.

"You know we found Randall, right? He was a walker, but there were no bites on him. No scratches, either." Rosanna watched Rick's eyes shift to the side.

 _He's either going to lie or he feels guilty about something_ , she thought as he rubbed his face.

"How is that possible?" Beth asked.

"What the hell happened, Rick?" Lori looked at her husband. "With you and Shane and Randall?"

"Shane killed Randall, I'll bet you anything," Daryl said.

"Then the herd got Shane?" Lori pressed, not taking her eyes off Rick. He was silent for several long moments.

"We're all infected," Rick said finally. He looked at everyone's horrified face.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"At the CDC, Jenner told me that whatever it is, we all carry it." Nobody said a word for a long while.

"You never said anything," Carol said accusingly, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Would it have made a difference?" Rick retorted.

"You knew this whole time?" Glenn looked appalled.

"I thought it was for the best that everyone didn't know," Rick glared back at Glenn before clenching his fists and striding away. Lori followed him.

"My God!" Maggie said, meeting Rosanna's eyes.

"Does that mean when we die, we turn into one of them?" Beth asked.

"I . . . I think so," Rosanna stammered. "That's what happened to Randall, isn't it? Shane broke his neck and he turned?" Daryl nodded at her.

"What happened to Shane, though?" Maggie asked.

"He turned," said Carl, surprising everyone. "I shot him."

"What?" Rosanna asked, staring at the boy. "How did he die, if he was turned?" Carl shrugged and looked away.

Rosanna saw Lori step away from Rick and bend over like she was sick. "Lori?" she called out. Rick turned to help his wife but Lori shoved him away and turned to walk back to the group. Rick followed her at a much slower pace.

"Maggie and Glenn," Rick began, his voice hoarse. "Take Carl and Beth and look for firewood. Stay close to the road. Rosanna, Daryl, T-Dog, come with me. We're going to check out a place to sleep for the night. Carol, you and Lori get what supplies we'll need out of the cars. Hershel, keep watch over Carol and Lori."

Rosanna readied her swords and followed the others over to the ruins, looking carefully for walkers. The sun was sinking below the treeline, showing a magnificent pink and orange sunset. She spared a glance at the beautiful display before Rick motioned for her and Daryl to go one way, while he and T-Dog checked out the other side of the walls. When Rick was satisfied there were no walkers, he asked Daryl and Rosanna to build a fire pit while he and T-Dog helped the others bring the food, water, and blankets they'd need for the night. It wasn't long before it was completely dark and everyone was sitting in front of the fire, except for T-Dog and Rick, who were keeping watch.

Rosanna sat by Daryl, while Carol sidled up to his other side. She leaned close to Daryl's ear. "We're not safe with him," she whispered, nodding at Rick. "Keeping a secret like that?" She leaned back and looked Daryl in the eye. "You should be leader. Why do we need Rick, he's just going to pull you down!" she spat, her tone as quiet as she could make it.

"Rick's done all right by me," Daryl murmured, looking away. Carol's eyes narrowed as she looked from him to Rosanna.

"Are you the reason Daryl's backing Rick?" she snapped quietly. Rosanna stared at her, surprised.

"Seriously?" Rosanna asked. "Daryl's a big boy, Carol. He can choose what he wants to do without my opinion."

"We follow Rick," Daryl said.

Carol shook her head. "The two of you act like his henchmen. And me? I'm the burden."

"Why would you say that, Carol?" Rosanna shook her head at the older woman, wondering what exactly she was up to.

"I just think Daryl deserves better," was all Carol would say. She glared at Rosanna again before shaking her head.

"What do you want?" Daryl asked finally, looking directly at Carol.

"A man of honor," Carol answered. Daryl threw a stick onto the fire.

"Rick has honor," he said, turning away from Carol. "Come on, Rose." He stood and gave Rosanna his hand, pulling her up gently and moving towards the opposite side of the fire, leaving Carol glaring in their wake.

"What was that?" Beth asked in a frightened voice as something snapped out in the woods. Rosanna, Daryl, T-Dog, and Rick all turned towards the sound. Rosanna sniffed, but there was no hint of rot.

"Maybe a raccoon," she said.

"Or a possum," Daryl looked towards the woods where the sound originated. "Maybe I can catch dinner."

"We need to leave!" Carol cried, looking scared out of her wits. Rosanna sighed and looked at Rick.

"The last thing we need is for everyone to be running off in the dark," Rick said sternly. "Don't panic. It was just an animal, or a branch falling."

"I don't want to sit here being walker bait," Maggie agreed with Carol. "We need to get out of here!"

"No one's going anywhere!" Rick snarled at her. Maggie took a step back from Rick's rage. "Look, I'm trying to keep this group together! I'm trying to keep everyone alive! I didn't ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ's sake!" Rosanna's mouth dropped open, as did many of the others as they stared at Rick. After a few moments, Rick pulled at his hair and faced them. "You saw what he was like. How he pushed my buttons. How he didn't want to follow the rules, how he disregarded the decisions we made as a group. He was always fighting any decision I made! He staged that whole Randall thing as a way to get me alone so he could kill me! He wanted _my_ wife, _my_ son, _my_ baby, _my life_!" He punctuated each 'my' with a fist to the thigh. "He gave me _no choice_!"

Carl began to sob, and Lori held her son tightly, not looking at Rick. Rosanna and Daryl exchanged glances, and she knew both of them were thinking the same thing. _Good riddance._ No one spoke for a long while. Rick rubbed his forehead and looked the group over.

"Maybe you all are better off without me," he said, his voice cracking. "So go ahead. Leave if you want. I still say there's a place for us. A safe place. It may all be a pipe dream, but I'll still keep believing we'll find a home until I'm dead." He glared at Carol and Maggie. "Go on, then, if you want to leave. Let's see how far you'll get by yourselves." He gestured towards the road. "Are you leaving? No? Then let's get one thing straight. If you stay, this isn't a democracy anymore. What I say goes, and that's it."

No one said a word.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen:

"What do you think?" Rick asked as he glanced at Rosanna, Maggie, Daryl, and Glenn. They exchanged hopeful looks.

"It looks good. Fenced. And we have bolt cutters, so we can open any locked doors," Glenn said, motioning towards the heavily fenced in line of storage units where the group was deliberating on spending the night.

"I agree," said Rosanna. "We can make this place work for a bit. And it looks walker-free." Maggie nodded in agreement, while Daryl stood with his crossbow on his shoulder, eyeing the fences.

"It's settled then," Rick said, straightening up. "Let's make sure it's clear. I'll take point, with Daryl and Glenn. You girls take the rear. I want this done nice and quick."

Rosanna nodded and drew her swords, while Maggie readied a handgun and Glenn shouldered his rifle. They moved out of the protection of the forest, into a parking lot, hurrying towards the gate to the property. Rick quickly cut the lock and pulled the chain free, opening the gate quietly. Daryl and Glenn split up to swiftly check the perimeter while Rick, Rosanna, and Maggie cautiously approached the small building that had a sign saying "OFFICE" on the door. When Daryl and Glenn came back, Rick put a finger to his lips as he rapped on the door and pressed his ear against it.

"All clear, I think, but let's move with care, okay?" he whispered as he reached for the doorknob. The door opened easily and Rick slid inside, followed by the others, weapons at the ready. The office was small, about ten feet by ten feet, too small for their entire group to sleep. There was a desk, a lamp, a mini fridge, a pegboard on which hung a bunch of keys, and a set of metal filing cabinets in the stuffy room, with a small window behind the desk that was too small for someone to fit through. Various paperwork was strewn about, like someone had been looking for something before leaving abruptly. Maggie opened the fridge but it was empty. She caught Rosanna's eye and both women smiled at each other as if to say _it was worth a try_.

"Let's check the storage units," Rick said as he strode outside, headed for the nearest unit. It was unlocked and empty, as was the next one. Only four of the nine units had stuff in them. One was full of moving boxes, but the others held furniture. Rosanna smiled as she counted the mattresses, there was a total of six: three twins and three queens. The prospect of a real bed to sleep on made her happy, and she looked over at Maggie, who was eyeing the mattresses and Glenn at the same time. Rosanna giggled, making Maggie glance at her with a crooked smile.

"This looks great," Rick said. "Five empty units, plus the office. That's enough room for everyone." He ran a hand through his hair and grinned. "Daryl, Glenn, you go get the others. Rosanna, Maggie, and I will pull out these mattresses and distribute them." Daryl gave Rick a nod and walked off, followed by Glenn. Rosanna sheathed her swords and began helping pull the mattresses out of the units. She smiled to herself at their luck.

It had been months since they had left the farm. Every day was a struggle to survive. The group would scout out a place to sleep, clear it of walkers, scavenge it for supplies. Then Rick, Daryl, Rosanna, Maggie, and Glenn would check out the surrounding buildings, if there were any, looking for stray walkers or things they could either use or eat. So far, they had been able to keep two cars going with enough gas to get them around, but Rosanna knew it was only a matter of time before there was no more gas to be had. Then they would be forced to choose what they could reasonably carry with them whilst walking.

It was also inevitable that each place would eventually be overrun with walkers, and they would have to leave. Some places were safe for a few weeks, others only a few hours. There had been a few close calls. T-Dog, Carol, and Lori had all almost been bit by walkers, and only the extreme vigilance of Daryl and Rick had saved them. Rosanna was thankful that they hadn't come across any other survivors. Their supplies were too limited to take on any more people, and she was well aware that many would kill her group to take what little they had.

Their group was close knit, but Rosanna noticed the changes that had come to each person since they left Hershel's farm. Rick and Lori rarely spoke to each other. Rick was strict, almost dictatorial with the group: where once he had asked, now he barked out orders knowing they'd be followed. Lori was gaunt and pale, her stomach seeming to take all her energy as it grew to the size of a small beach ball. Carl was aware of his parents rift, and tended to avoid them, preferring Beth or Rosanna or Hershel's company. Glenn and Maggie were much more serious than before, although Maggie still tended to tease him and joke around with Rosanna on occasion. Hershel was quiet and stuck close to Beth, who was equally silent and sober. Rosanna sensed an inner strength in Beth that left the girl with an aura of calm confidence. Having had to defend herself by killing several walkers had made her realize she was just as able to contribute to the group's survival as the others. Carol was becoming more confident too as she gained more experience using a knife and gun. She was no longer hostile to Rosanna. It was just too hard to survive and hold a grudge at the same time. T-Dog was just as friendly as ever, but his friendliness was tempered with a wariness that left him unable to look at someone as he talked to them, as his gaze was continually searching his surroundings for threats.

Daryl was constantly watching as well. He kept away from the group most of the time, hardly said a word to anyone, and followed Rick's orders without hesitation. He and Rosanna hunted together quite often, and they had formed their own silent "hunting language", but other than that he had nothing to say to her. It made Rosanna sad to think of their growing friendship at the farm being so drastically severed, and she frowned as she helped Maggie carry one of the queen sized mattresses into an empty unit.

"What're you thinkin' of?" Maggie asked her as they pushed the mattress into a corner.

Rosanna shrugged. "Nothing really." She sighed. "Okay, I was thinking of how everyone and everything has changed since we left the farm. I guess I'm just missing what we had."

Maggie snorted and wiped her forehead, leaving a dusty streak on her skin. "We had it good, didn't we?" She let out a laugh devoid of any humor. "Well, maybe this place will work for a while. It's pretty secluded, being so far out of town and all."

"Yes, but we'll have to travel further to look for supplies," Rosanna said as they went for another mattress. "But I'm glad for the fences." Both women eyed the ten foot tall metal fence, topped with barbed wire.

"We'll be okay here, so long as a herd doesn't pass by," Maggie said as they lifted a mattress.

"Yeah," Rosanna answered, glancing behind her as Rick opened the gate so T-Dog and Carol could drive the vehicles inside the protection of the fence. She watched as Rick secure the gate with carabiner clips and a chain. Lori got out of Maggie's SUV and stretched, her stomach bulging in front of her as she surveyed the buildings. She caught Rosanna's eye and smiled. Rosanna smiled back before turning to help Maggie with the mattress.

"Wow, beds!" Carl said happily, beaming underneath his sheriff's hat.

"Yep!" Maggie answered with a laugh. She patted Carl on the shoulder. "And you get your very own!"

"Cool!" Carl grinned up at Maggie and took off to explore.

"So how's this going to work?" Rosanna asked Maggie as they pushed the last mattress into place. Rick, who was walking by carrying a box of canned food, motioned toward the first unit.

"That one's got a queen and a twin. Lori and I will sleep there with Carl. Hershel and Beth will take the next one, with the two other twin beds. Glenn and Maggie can have the third one with the queen bed, and Carol and Rosanna can take the next one, if they don't mind sharing a bed."

"I don't mind," Rosanna said quickly, looking over at Carol, who nodded.

"Glenn found two cots and some sleeping bags in one of the units, so T-Dog and Daryl can have those. They can either share the last unit, or one can sleep in the office."

"I'll sleep in the office," Daryl stated with a glance at T-Dog. "No offense."

"None taken," T-Dog answered as he helped Carol bring blankets and pillows from one of the vehicles.

By the time everyone had set up their sleeping spaces, it was growing dark. Carol opened several cans of food and passed the meager meal around on paper plates. Rosanna ate her portion ravenously: a few spoonfuls each of black beans, fruit cocktail, and green beans all served cold as Rick didn't want to risk making a fire. She glanced over at the box of food, noting how few cans were left, then walked over to Daryl.

"Do you want to try and hunt tomorrow?" she asked. "We're really low on food, and these woods look like they've got some game. If we stay here for a bit, we can even set snares."

Daryl shrugged. "Fine with me." He crumpled his plate into a ball and tossed it into the bag Carol had designated for trash before shouldering his crossbow and walking over to check the chain on the gate.

Rosanna sighed and threw away her plate on her way to Rick. "How do you want to take watch?" she asked the sheriff.

"I'll take first watch with Daryl, then I'll wake up you and T-Dog. Glenn and Maggie can take last watch."

"Daryl and I are going to hunt tomorrow," Rosanna informed him. "We won't go far."

"Good," Rick answered, pulling out a map. "When you get back I'll take Glenn, Maggie, and T-Dog into the town up the road, see if we can't find any supplies."

"Sounds good," Rosanna said. "I'm going to turn in." She looked around, noticing that Carl, Lori, Hershel, Beth, Carol, Glenn, and Maggie had all gone to their beds. Maggie smiled at her as she pulled down the metal door to her unit. Rosanna smiled back and went to lay down beside Carol, shutting her own door behind her, making sure to leave a couple of inches open for air to circulate. She took off her boots and snuggled under her blanket, heaving a sigh as she sank down onto the mattress. Carol giggled.

"It's been so long since I've had a _bed_ ," Carol whispered happily.

"I know. It's great, isn't it?" Rosanna whispered back.

"I hope we can stay here for a while," Carol murmured.

"It would be nice to, but I don't think this place will work long term."

"Why not? I think if we could block the fence somehow, cover it with tarps or boards or something so the walkers can't see in . . . well, maybe it would work."

Rosanna moved her head into a more comfortable position and thought about it for a moment. "Maybe," she said dubiously. "But I don't think Rick will want to stay here."

"You're right," Carol answered. "He has his own vision of a place: a real home for us where we're secure and we have room to grow our own food. We wouldn't be able to grow anything here, it's all pavement."

"What kind of place is going to be fenced off, with a large enough area for a garden and buildings where we can be safe?" Rosanna asked.

Carol was silent for a long moment. "I don't know. But we need to find someplace soon. Lori will be due in a few months. Maybe less, maybe more. She doesn't know when she conceived, and her periods were erratic before that." She paused. "Rosanna, how's Daryl doing?"

Rosanna rolled over to face Carol. "What?"

"Daryl. How is he?"

"You see him every day," Rosanna said slowly. "You know how he is."

"I just . . . thought he confided in you."

" _Daryl_? No." She thought for a second before continuing. "At the farm, I thought maybe we were starting to be friends, but now we hardly speak to each other. But he doesn't talk to anyone except Rick. Why do you think he confides in me?" Rosanna heard Carol turn to face the wall.

"No reason," Carol said over her shoulder. "I just wondered." She didn't say anything else, and soon Rosanna heard her breathing even out. Rosanna lay back on her pillow and tried to sleep, but couldn't. All too soon, Rick woke her for her watch.

**The Next Morning**

Rosanna woke up with the sun and slid her feet into her boots, strapping her swords and guns onto herself quietly as to not wake Carol. She rolled up the door as silently as she could and walked out to meet the pale sunshine. Glenn and Maggie smiled at her as they said their good mornings, Maggie hiding a yawn behind her hand. Rosanna nodded at them and walked over to the office, where Daryl had made his sleeping space. She knocked once, knowing that was all it would take to waken the hunter. It wasn't long before he emerged, crossbow on shoulder and pack on his back.

"Ready?" was all Daryl said. Rosanna nodded and fell into step behind him as he led the way to the gate. Glenn unlocked it and locked it back behind them as they left. The two of them walked into the woods, silently looking for prints.

They trekked through the woods for several hours before Daryl finally spoke. "I'm not seein' nothin'. Best go back. We'll circle around, see if we can't find somethin' then." Rosanna shrugged and followed him through some bushes. It wasn't long before a strange smell wafted through Rosanna's nose.

"Stop," she whispered, grabbing Daryl by the vest.

He glanced back at her, eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Someone's out there," Rosanna said quietly, pulling him back behind a tree.

"How the hell do you know that? I don't hear no one!"

"Will you shut the hell up before they hear you?"

He glared at her. "You're acting fucking crazy!"

She glared back. "You're being an asshole! Just shut up, will you?"

Daryl scowled, but closed his mouth. Rosanna slid around the tree, breathing in the air. She closed her eyes and listened. The smell of unwashed bodies drifted through the breeze. Several voices were talking quietly somewhere ahead of her. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but the sound of their footsteps made her realize there were a bunch of them. _Six, maybe seven._ And they were heading right toward them. Rosanna moved back beside Daryl.

"There's a group of people coming."

Daryl stiffened, scrutinizing her face, then peered out around the tree. Rosanna looked under his arm and saw that the group was getting closer. She could see them moving in the distance. "Stay quiet, maybe they'll just pass us," Daryl whispered in her ear. "Keep your gun out."

Rosanna nodded and pulled a revolver from her belt. She leaned against the tree, waiting silently. The group grew nearer. From their voices, she could tell that all were male, and the reek of their bodies suggested they hadn't bathed in quite some time. Daryl tensed beside her, his jaw clenched. The voices grew nearer, only yards away from their tree.

"Look at that!" one man said. The others stopped talking.

"What the fuck is it now, Pete?" another man asked in an irritated tone.

"That!" Pete exclaimed. "See that, Al?"

"Footprints," Al answered. "Fresh." The group went silent, but Rosanna could hear the cocking of guns. Daryl pressed closer to her, touching her hand with his finger in a reassuring gesture. The footsteps and smells grew nearer. Suddenly they were surrounded. Seven men stood around them, aiming various guns at their heads.

"Look what we've got here!" a brown haired man said gleefully.

"Put down your weapons," said the one named Al, leering at Rosanna. She obeyed, as did Daryl, and both of them put their hands up.

"What a beauty you've got there," one said to Daryl while waving his gun at Rosanna. "I'm sure you won't mind if we take a look at what's underneath those clothes, do you, friend?"

"Leave her alone," Daryl snarled. The men laughed.

"Mother fucker, do you not see seven guns aimed at you and your girl? What the flying fuck do you think you're going to do about it?" Al said cheerily. He nodded at Rosanna. "Take your clothes off, bitch, or we'll shoot this dick."

Rosanna took a deep breath and pulled off her shirt. The men hooted appreciatively.

"Come on, we ain't got all day, doll," said the guy with the brown hair.

"Rosanna . . ." Daryl murmured brokenly.

She glanced over at him. "It's okay, Daryl. Just don't watch." His stricken eyes met hers and he tensed as if he were going to fight. "Daryl," she whispered. "Don't."

"Yeah, mother fucker, don't!" said Pete. "Tom, Larry, grab that asshole and tie him up. Don't want him messing with our fun."

Rosanna watched, hugging herself as the two men forced Daryl to his knees. One pulled some rope from his pack and started to wrap them around Daryl's wrists, but Daryl started struggling.

"Nah uh uh, asshole," Al said, walking closer to Rosanna and aiming his gun at her temple. "Don't move or we'll kill your bitch."

Tom aimed his own gun at Daryl's head while Larry tied him up and patted him down for weapons, taking his hunting knife and sliding it into his waistband. Al smirked. "All right, boys, now that that's taken care of, let's enjoy ourselves!"

The men hooted and catcalled as Al waved his gun at Rosanna. "I'm giving you 'til the count of five to get naked, or we kill lover boy over there."

Rosanna obeyed quickly and stood naked in front of them all, gazing at Al defiantly. A pain spread through her chest as she looked over at Daryl, two guns at his temples, a tear trickling down his cheek. She looked back at Al, the pain in her chest turning into a white hot rage. He came closer to her, tossing his gun to one of the others. Rosanna fought back the instinct to attack him as he began to touch her, grabbing her breasts roughly, pinching the nipples and rolling them around with his fingers. _If I fight, Daryl's dead,_ she thought helplessly as Al moved his mouth to a nipple and started sucking. She bit back her rage and forced herself to look around. Pete stood close to Al, his gun pointed at the ground as he grinned at her. Tom and Larry still held their guns trained on Daryl, but were beginning to look bored. The other three men were relaxing their positions, guns still aimed in her vicinity, but not directly at her. Their focus seemed to be on the forest around them.

Al yanked her braid back, ripping off her hair tie as he pushed his slimy lips onto hers. She gagged at the foul taste of his tongue shoving its way into her mouth, then moving down her neck back to her breast. Rosanna looked around once more. Tom and Larry had eased away from Daryl and were now talking about who was going to rape her next. _It's now or never._

The wind whistled through Rosanna's fingers as she swiftly reached up and grabbed Al by the head, quickly breaking his neck. His body had just started to fall as she kicked it out of the way, towards the three men who were starting to raise their guns as the body slammed into them. Half a second later, she had Pete's throat in one hand while the other grabbed his gun and aimed at Tom and Larry. She pulled the trigger twice, hitting them both in the forehead as she swung around to aim at the three men who were now on their feet, guns raised at her. She held Pete in front of her like a shield as she pulled the trigger on her own gun. _Shit, its empty!_ Rosanna kept Pete's corpse in front of her as she charged the men, all three of them emptying their rounds into Pete's body. When she was close enough, she shoved Pete aside and grabbed one of the rifles, ripping it out of the man's hand and swinging the stock at his head.

Brain, bone and blood spattered all over her as the man's head practically exploded from the force of the hit. Rosanna felt a stinging pain in her abdomen, then another, just as she swung at the other two, knocking them both down. She felt blood streaming down her body as she hit them both again and again until their heads were nothing but pulp on the ground. She stood up straight as her rage subsided and she tossed the rifle to the side. Her body thrummed with energy as she surveyed the dead men around her. Then her gaze fell on Daryl.

He still knelt on the forest floor, staring at her with an unfathomable expression. She froze in fear of what he would think. Rosanna knew she had just shown Daryl just how fast and strong she was. Killing all the men had only taken seconds. She shook out her hair, feeling the length of it down her back, brain and other matter falling out in chunks, knowing she had to be covered in gore. Rosanna swallowed hard, feeling the bullet holes in her stomach contract, itching slightly as she felt her body repair itself. The bullets were pushed out of her body and she grabbed them in her fist before they could hit the ground. She could feel Daryl watching her, and her heart sunk as she read fear in his eyes.

"I . . . I'm going to untie you," Rosanna said quietly, moving slowly as not to frighten him more. He didn't say anything as she crept behind him, pulling his knife out of Larry's waistband and using it to cut through the rope. Daryl stood slowly, rubbing his wrists as he took a step back away from her. They stared at each other for several long moments.

"How the fuck did you do that?" Daryl asked finally, averting his eyes from her nakedness.

"I . . . I don't know," she whispered. He glared at her.

"Don't fucking lie to me, Rosanna! What the fuck was that! You moved so fast . . . You were _shot_. . ." He wiped his forehead with a shaking hand.

 _This is it._ She thought. _I tell him the truth, he tells the others, and they decide it's too dangerous to have me around._ The thought of being alone again, of losing her new family, settled like a crushing weight on her chest. But it couldn't be helped.

"I was bitten," Rosanna said quietly, but clearly.

"The fuck do you mean, _bitten_?" he snarled, picking up his crossbow.

"I was bitten by a walker." She told him what had happened to her in Arizona, how she awoke, and when she realized her new powers. When she was finished, he stood staring at her, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"That's a load of shit," Daryl said finally, backing away from her.

"How do you explain this, then?" Rosanna asked, walking over to a tree. She grabbed ahold of a thick branch and ripped it off the trunk, throwing it down in front of his feet. "Or this." She slashed her wrist with the knife and held out her arm so he could watch it heal in front of his eyes.

He said nothing, just looked at her. Tears filled her eyes and she looked away, going to pick her clothes off the ground, pulling them on over her filthy skin. When she was finished, she walked over to her swords and revolvers, strapping them on. Daryl watched her in silence. "Look," she said finally. "I get it, okay? You're afraid of me now, of what I can do. I didn't want anyone to know. Now everyone else will know, and Rick will make me leave. So I'll just leave right now." She took a couple of steps into the woods, choking on her tears. "Just tell the others . . . tell them I love them, okay? Even though I'm a freak." Rosanna turned to go.

"I ain't gonna tell them," Daryl said to her retreating back. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder.

"What?"

"They don't have to know. It can be between us only."

Rosanna faced him, searching his eyes for confirmation she had heard him correctly. "What?" she asked again.

He rolled his eyes. "I just said, didn't I? I saw what you can do. You're an asset. You can do more to keep them safe than anyone." He hardened his gaze. "I don't know if I can believe you were bit and survived. I ain't no scientist, but if that's true, we need you. Never heard of anyone surviving a bite." He straightened his shoulders and jutted his chin towards the dead men. "Help me look through their packs. They might have food."

Rosanna's jaw had fallen open, and she closed it quickly. He looked back at her. "Rosanna."

"Daryl."

"Thanks for saving us."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen:

Rosanna couldn't believe her luck. Not only had Daryl promised to keep the information about her powers to himself, but the men she had killed were pretty well stocked for themselves. They found ramen noodles, beef jerky, numerous cans of Spam, assorted vegetables and beans, even a few bottles of antibiotics and painkillers in the men's packs. To top off the whole day, they found a nice buck drinking water from a creek as they approached. Daryl took it down with his crossbow. He field dressed the deer as Rosanna washed up, cleaning the blood and gore from her hair and skin. She felt a little uncomfortable wearing damp clothes, but it was better than being grossly dirty. They made their way back to the storage units, which were in sight through the trees, when Daryl stopped Rosanna and looked at her seriously.

"I mean it, I'm not sayin' anythin'," he said quietly.

"Thank you," she whispered back. "I've been thinking, though. On the way back here. Maybe Rick should know."

"No. Keep everything to yourself," Daryl urged. "If shit hits the fan, do what you can to help, but don't show what you can do otherwise. Got it?"

She nodded. "I've always tried to be normal. Daryl, it's not my fault I was bit."

He gazed at her skeptically. "Just . . . just take care, okay." To her surprise, he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

Rosanna took a deep breath. "Okay, Daryl."

Rick, Glenn, and Maggie met them at the gate and helped them carry the deer and other supplies into the storage unit lot. "Wow, where'd you get all this stuff?" Maggie asked, then took a good look at Rosanna. "What happened to you? Your clothes are stained!"

"We were attacked by some men," Daryl said quickly. "Took 'em out, and took their supplies."

"Are ya'll okay?" Maggie looked them over.

"We're fine," Rosanna reassured her.

"Wanna help me figure out where I'm gonna butcher this?" Daryl asked Glenn, trying to change the subject, but Rick looked like he knew they were covering something up.

"Wow, what a haul!" Carol said as she approached, helping Maggie carry some of the cans.

"I call dibs on the black eyed peas," Maggie laughed.

Rosanna went into her unit to change her clothes. When she got out, Rick was waiting for her. "I want to know what happened." Rosanna sighed.

"We were attacked. There were seven of them, caught us by surprise. Everything happened so fast . . . I'm not sure how we did it, but we killed them." She tried to laugh. "They weren't expecting a girl with swords I guess." Rick stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

"I'm glad the two of you are okay." He patted her shoulder. "And it's good you took them out like you did. We don't need anyone sneaking up on us one night." She smiled back at him and went to see if Daryl needed help.

That evening, after a filling dinner of venison steak and black eyed peas, Daryl and Rosanna took the first watch after everyone went to bed. They walked the perimeter of the fence in companionable silence. Rosanna stared up at the sky for a moment, noting the positions of the stars. "Orion's dead tonight," she whispered.

"Who?" Daryl asked, looking at her strangely. She pointed out the constellation.

"That's Orion. The story was that he was the goddess Artemis' best friend. They hunted together and stuff. She was the goddess of the hunt. One day when they were hunting, Orion boasted that he would kill every animal on Earth, so the earth goddess Gaia sent a scorpion to kill him. It stung Orion and Orion died. Zeus, the king of the gods, put Orion and the scorpion in the sky as constellations." She showed Daryl the scorpion constellation. "As the Earth rotates, Orion is first standing up fighting the scorpion, then he lays down as he dies."

Daryl bit his lip, squinting at the stars. "So he's gotta die over and over again?" Rosanna giggled.

"I guess. That's just the story I was told."

"Who told you that story?"

"My mom. It used to be one of my favorites." Rosanna smiled up at the sky. "She loved astronomy. And Greek mythology."

"Greek what?"

"Mythology. The stories about the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece."

"Sounds silly."

She shrugged. "Some of the stories are silly. Others are happy. Some are really sad." He looked down at her.

"What's your favorite Greek thing? Story, I mean."

Rosanna thought for a minute. "Orpheus and Eurydice."

"What and what?" Daryl looked confused.

"Orpheus and Eurydice," Rosanna repeated. "Orpheus was the son of Apollo, the god of music. He gave Orpheus a lyre, a kind of musical instrument. Orpheus was so good at playing the lyre, everyone and everything stopped to hear him. He fell in love with Eurydice, and they got married and lived together happily. But one day, Eurydice was in the forest when this guy started chasing her, trying to rape her. She got away, but she got bit by a poisonous snake and died. Orpheus was heartbroken. The songs he played on his lyre were so sad, it made even the gods cry. Apollo told Orpheus to go to the underworld and ask its king, Hades, to give Eurydice back. Orpheus went to the underworld and played his lyre for Hades. Hades told Orpheus he could have his wife back on the condition that he didn't look at her until they got out of the underworld. Orpheus agreed, and Eurydice followed him on the path back to Earth. Orpheus began to doubt she was really behind him, so just before they made it back to Earth, he looked back at her. Instantly, she was taken back to the underworld. Since Orpheus couldn't enter the underworld again, he spent the rest of his life playing sad songs, until Zeus finally put him out of his misery by shooting him with lightning."

"Damn," was all Daryl said for a moment. They began walking again, and Rosanna could see he was thinking hard. "That's bullshit," he said finally.

"What is?" Rosanna asked.

"If I was that guy, I'd go back to that underworld and get my woman."

"But he couldn't go back twice," Rosanna said. "Hades wouldn't let him."

"Fuck that," answered Daryl. "I'd have gone back, and if that Hades fucker wouldn't let me in, I'd kill him." He shook his head. "Why do you like that story? It's fucked up."

"I don't know," she admitted. "My mom had this big, pretty book of Greek myths. I loved looking at the pictures. There was this one picture of Orpheus and Eurydice when they were married and happy. They looked like they loved each other so much. I guess it just kind of made me happy to look at it when my mom read me the story. I was kind of dreamy when I was a little girl. I played I had a Prince Charming, who would do anything for me." She laughed a little at the admission.

"So you're looking for a Prince Charming?" Daryl asked gruffly.

"No. I gave up on that dream."

"Why?"

Rosanna shrugged. "I had this boyfriend when I was fifteen. I thought I loved him, and that he was my Prince Charming, but he ended up treating me badly when I wouldn't sleep with him. So that kind of killed the whole Prince thing for me."

"He didn't hit you or nothin', did he?" Daryl asked fiercely.

"No, nothing like that. He just wasn't a nice guy."

"Did you have a boyfriend when all hell broke loose?" Daryl surprised her by asking.

"Nope. I hadn't had a boyfriend for a while, actually." She laughed. "I've only really had a few boyfriends. I wasn't really into sharing my life with anyone but Dad for most of my life. When he died, I didn't really care about dating. He was the one who tried to get me out there, tried to set me up with guys he knew. It just never worked. I never liked anyone enough to be able to open up in the way a relationship needs. No relationship I ever had lasted longer than a year, if that." She looked at him. "What about you?"

Daryl shook his head emphatically. "Not me. Never had a girlfriend before. No time."

"Seriously?"

"Yup." Rosanna didn't know what to say to that, so she kept walking. Daryl kept his gaze on the woods around them. "Do you think that's weird?"

"For you? No, I don't think it's weird."

Daryl glanced at her. "Why do you say that?"

She looked at him. "You just seem like you've always been the loner type. You didn't interact with many people besides your brother, did you?"

"How'd you know that?" he asked with an amused glance.

"Just how you are. You usually set yourself apart. I bet that this group is the closest thing to a real family and friends that you've ever had. These are the first people that you've actually liked. Am I right?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." He chewed on his lip. "I like _you_ , anyway."

Rosanna stopped walking and stared up at him. "I like you too, Daryl. Thank you again for not saying anything . . ." She was cut off by his lips crashing down on hers. For a second, she was too shocked to respond, but very soon she was kissing him back, her fingers reaching up to tangle in his hair. Daryl pulled her close, one hand on the back of her head, the other around her waist. He kissed her long and thoroughly, and then all of a sudden he released her. He took a few steps back, staring her straight in the eye, and then he turned and walked over to Glenn and Maggie's unit. Rosanna followed him, wanting him to talk to her, but after knocking once on the unit and hearing Glenn say they'd be right out, Daryl walked to the office and went inside, shutting the door a little more loudly than he needed to.

Rosanna touched her lips, wondering what had just happened. She knew going and knocking on the office door was a bad idea, he would probably just ignore her. So she made her way slowly to her unit and slid into bed with Carol as soon as Glenn and Maggie appeared. Tears filled her eyes and she cried silently into her pillow. Sleep didn't claim her until it was almost dawn.

Carol woke her up the next morning as she lifted the door to the unit. Rosanna stretched and pulled her boots on before getting a hairbrush from her pack. Once her hair was brushed and re-braided, she took a washcloth out of the pack and went outside to wash her face. She rinsed the cloth afterward and dabbed on a tiny bit of toothpaste to brush her teeth. It sucked not having a toothbrush, but Rosanna was thankful for the little things they did have. At least her breath wasn't as smelly as it could have been. After splitting a package of instant noodles with Carol, she joined Rick, Maggie, Glenn, and Daryl beside one of the cars to plan a run into the closest town.

"I want to be fast, but thorough," Rick told them. "It looks to be a pretty small town. All the stores are probably on the main street." He pointed at the map. Rosanna found her mind wandering as she glanced at Daryl underneath her eyelashes. He seemed to be ignoring her, not even looking at her once. Butterflies filled her stomach at the memory of his kiss.

"Rosanna?" Rick's voice drew her attention away from her memories.

"What?" she asked. "Sorry, I was somewhere else for a minute." He gave her a stern look.

"I want you and Daryl to sweep the right side of the street, okay?" He looked at her again. "Keep your head in the game, Rose, all right?" She nodded.

"Sure," she answered, peeking up at Daryl. His lips were pressed together tightly and he still wasn't looking at her.

"Okay, let's get moving," Rick said, scooping up the map. He kissed Lori and Carl goodbye and they all packed into one of the cars. Daryl sat up front with Rick. The ten minute ride passed uneventfully. Rick parked the car beside some bushes at the entrance to the town. Rosanna got out and looked around. She could smell walkers, but not many. She unsheathed her swords and looked to Rick.

"Let's get this over with," he said, motioning towards Rosanna and Daryl to take the right side of the short street.

"Wow, this town was tiny," Rosanna whispered as she followed Daryl to the first building, which held a mom and pop general store. Daryl merely grunted as he knocked on the door. They listened carefully, and when there was no sound, Daryl opened the door. Both of them held their weapons at the ready. They swept the room from front to back, but there were no walkers. Rosanna sheathed her swords and began scanning shelves. Most of the store had been scavenged before, but Rosanna was able to pick up several camp sized bottles of propane, bars of soap, and found a box of canned chili beans behind the counter. Daryl stood watch by the door as she gathered the supplies and set them outside on the street. Their usual method was to scavenge a building, set what they found outside, and drive back through when they were done, picking up the supplies.

On the other side of the street, Rosanna saw Maggie walk out of the pharmacy carrying a bag that she set on the side of the road. She nodded at Rosanna and followed Glenn and Rick into the next building. Rosanna did the same with Daryl, until each building had been searched. They only met with a few walkers that they dispatched quickly. The final building was a bar that had an apartment on the second story. After finding nothing in the bar but alcohol, which they didn't touch, Rosanna motioned towards the door that led to the second story. Daryl nodded and raised his crossbow as Rosanna opened the door and slid inside. The apartment stank of decay, but Rosanna breathed through her mouth and rummaged through the cabinets of the tiny kitchen. She found a box of peanut butter crackers, but not much else in the way of food. She looked around the rest of the apartment. Clothes were strewn about the living room, picture albums and books piled into a box on the ground. It looked like someone had packed and left in a hurry. Shrugging, Rosanna went into one of the bedrooms. She found maternity clothes inside some of the drawers and pushed them into a plastic bag to take back to Lori, who desperately needed them. "Lori's going to love these," she told Daryl as she moved to the other bedroom door. Rosanna put her ear to it, listening to soft moans coming from the inside. The doorknob was locked. She glanced back at Daryl, who readied his crossbow. Rosanna opened the door to show a child's room, painted pink and white, with a small bed in one corner and a crib in the other. Toys were strewn around the room.

To her shock, a tiny walker stumbled towards her. The girl hadn't been more than three or four years old when she turned. Rosanna's eyes filled with tears and she hesitated for a moment, but Daryl was right behind her. He shot the little girl in the head and she dropped down. "You okay?" he asked Rosanna. Rosanna wiped her eyes and nodded, just as they heard another walker's moaning coming from the crib. They looked at each other.

"What the fuck?" Rosanna asked as they leaned over the crib together. Inside was a small baby, no more than a few months old, moaning and twisting in the blankets, its yellow walker eyes blinking rapidly. "Oh my God," Rosanna whispered and turned to vomit. Daryl put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her braid out of the way while she emptied the contents of her stomach on the rug.

"Don't look," Daryl said quietly, and Rosanna turned away. She heard the thwack of the crossbow and the moaning stopped.

"There's no one else here!" Rosanna's chest heaved as she sobbed. "Someone left those kids here to die!" Daryl held her close to him until she got herself under control.

"Come on," he said quietly, taking a last look at the dead children before leading her out of the apartment. Rosanna dropped her bag and the box of crackers and took several deep breaths before pushing past Daryl and striding back into the bar. "What are you doin'?" he asked.

"Pouring myself a drink," Rosanna answered, going straight for a bottle of whiskey. Daryl's lips pressed together in disapproval but he came and sat next to her as she downed several shots of the liquor. Not being used to drinking, she felt a buzz almost immediately, her eyes watering as she knocked back two more. She thought of the infant walker and began sobbing once more.

"That's enough," Daryl said, putting his hand over the lid of the bottle as she reached for it once more.

"Don't you tell me how much I can drink!" Rosanna almost slurred as she slapped his hand away. She must have hit harder than she thought because Daryl mumbled an 'ow' and shook his hand, glaring at her.

"Hey, we're ready to go," Glenn said from the door. He looked at Rosanna. "Are you _drinking_?" She waved her shotglass at him.

"I am. So what?"

"Rick and Maggie are coming around with the car," Glenn said uncertainly as Rosanna took another shot. "The pharmacy still had some good painkillers and antibiotics."

"Did you get condoms too?" Rosanna asked, squinting at Glenn. "You and Maggie sure go through them fast." She laughed as Glenn turned red, then she looked at Daryl. "We should get some too, y'know, in case you wanna do more than kiss!" She laughed again at Daryl's aghast expression and took another shot.

"I think you've had enough of that shit," Daryl said firmly, grabbing the bottle and upending it on the floor.

"You bastard!" Rosanna cried as she stumbled, reaching for the bottle.

"Oh boy," Glenn said as he and Daryl lifted her off the floor. "What the hell happened for her to get like this?"

"There were two kids upstairs. A little girl and a baby. They were walkers," Daryl explained as he lifted Rosanna into his arms.

"Shit," Glenn stared down at Rosanna with pity in his eyes. "That's horrible."

"You're tellin' me," Daryl answered, scooping Rosanna up like a sack of potatoes. He carried her out to the street where Rick and Maggie waited with the car.

"What happened?" Rick asked immediately, assuming Rosanna was hurt.

"She's fine. Just drunk," Daryl sighed, stuffing Rosanna in the back seat.

"Drunk?" Rick asked, amazed. "She doesn't get drunk."

"Well, she is now," Daryl handed a plastic bag to Maggie. "Here, in case she pukes." Maggie's face scrunched up as she took the bag and sat next to Rosanna. Glenn explained to the others what Daryl and Rosanna had seen, and Maggie looked appalled.

"I would have gotten drunk too," she told the men, glancing over at Rosanna with a pitying expression. "That's got to mess with someone's head, seeing a baby like that."

"Okay, let's just get back," Rick ordered, motioning towards the car. "Maggie, if she looks like she's gonna puke just tell me and I'll pull over."

Halfway back, Maggie yelled at Rick and Daryl flew into action, running around the car and letting Rosanna out so she could vomit all over the pavement. He wasn't quick enough, though, and she got puke on her shirt and jeans. Sighing loudly, Daryl stripped her clothes and pulled off his T-shirt, pulling it over her head. Rosanna looked blearily at him and started to sob again. "Those poor kids . . ." she stammered, her face covered in streaks of tears, vomit, and snot. Maggie got out of the car with a napkin and bottle of water and used it to wipe off Rosanna's face.

"You get up front, I'll sit with her," Daryl told Maggie as she looked at her friend with compassion.

"No problem," Maggie answered, climbing up front with Rick. Daryl sat in back with Rosanna curled into his arms, still sobbing pitifully.

"Shit," said Rick as he put the car into drive. "How much did she drink?"

"About half a bottle before I could stop her," Daryl answered grimly, holding Rosanna tighter. He met Rick's gaze in the rearview mirror. "She's not gonna like the others seein' her like this. I'll take her to the office, she can sleep it off there. I'll watch her."

Rosanna felt the car stop, and gentle hands carry her out of the car. She could hear the others talking, but nothing made sense. She was laid down on something that was softer than the ground, but just as uncomfortable. Wiggling in irritation, she opened her eyes and blearily stared at Daryl's face. His nose was scrunched up like he smelled something bad.

"What?" she asked, closing her eyes again.

"You smell like puke," Daryl answered, laying a wet napkin on her forehead. Rosanna sniffed the air.

"Gross. I do stink," she murmured, trying to sit up.

"Nope," Daryl told her, pushing her back down. "You need to sit up slowly and drink some water." His lips twitched. "Rinse your mouth out." He stood up and looked down at her with an amused expression. "Do you feel like you need to hurl?" Rosanna shook her head slowly.

"I don't think so."

"Good, then try sitting up. I got water for you." She did as he said and eased into a sitting position.

"Why am I wearing your shirt?" Rosanna asked feebly as she held a hand to her aching head.

"You puked on yours." He handed her a water bottle.

"Oh. Well. Sorry," she said. "Thanks for helping me, but I'm going to go to bed now." She tried to stand, but she was just drunk enough to stumble. Daryl caught her and eased her back down.

"You're sleepin' here tonight," he said sternly. "You drank too much, too fast. 'M surprised you're not drunker."

"Me too," Rosanna agreed, closing her eyes again. _Maybe I can metabolize alcohol faster than I used to_. She smiled wryly. _Or maybe I just puked it all up._

"You think this is funny?" Daryl asked her.

"Almost as funny as you kissing me and then walking away," Rosanna retorted, her eyes still closed. When he didn't say anything, she cracked one eye open. He was looking down at her with a strange expression as he chewed his lip.

"Didn't mean to do that."

"Do what? The kissing or the walking away part?" She opened both eyes and gazed at him.

"The kissing," Daryl surprised her by saying. Rosanna felt her chest grow cold. She hadn't expected him to be so blunt. He looked away and crossed his arms. "Don't worry, it won't happen again."

She shut her eyes, both to avoid looking at him and to hide the fact that tears were welling up. She wanted to question him, ask him _why_ it was so bad for him to kiss her, but her pride kept her from saying anything.

"Try to get some sleep," Daryl said gruffly as he made himself comfortable on the floor.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen:

Life in the storage units became somewhat of a predictable routine. Keeping watch, scavenging, hunting, eating, and sleeping took up most of their days. They had taken the time to go through the unit full of boxes and were glad to have found two five gallon water storage containers and a fold up wagon in a bunch of camping supplies. This made it much easier to hike the hour long trek into the forest to the creek to get water. They also used the wagon to haul their clothes down to the creek for washing. The previous owner of one of the units had obviously been one of those extreme coupon people, since the unit was filled with neat stacks of toilet paper, body washes, shampoo and conditioner, and biodegradable laundry soap. Maggie had the wonderful idea of finding out who the unit had been rented to. After going through the paperwork in the office they found the address of a Mrs. Rachel Peterson in the tiny town nearby and just as Maggie had suspected, the house's pantry was filled with canned goods. She had come to the conclusion that the woman had kept the edible products of her couponing at her own house. It was a shame that they found who they presumed to be Walker Mrs. Peterson in a small room surrounded by newspapers and clipped coupons. They dispatched the walker and took the cans back to their temporary home, actually needing two car trips to do it.

Since Daryl kept his distance after her drunken episode, Rosanna had taken to bringing Carl along while she checked some snares and traps she had set, partly for the company and partly to teach him what she knew. Lori had been reluctant to allow those outings, but Rick talked to her and she finally allowed it, as long as they stayed nearby. Rosanna never took Carl further out than a twenty minute walk, but already he had become a decent tracker and a good shot. They didn't hunt anything bigger than raccoons, opossum, and the occasional rabbit, but it wasn't for lack of trying. After the one deer Daryl had shot when they first came to the storage units, Rosanna never saw another. It didn't matter so much that they brought game home, though, finding the stockpile of canned food had taken care of the food problem for a few weeks, but the group liked something fresh every once in a while.

Rosanna had just woken up one morning when Carl came running up to her unit and knocked. "Are you awake, Rose?" he whispered.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Can we go check the snares?" he asked, his voice heavy with excitement. Rosanna shrugged on her pack and checked her weapons.

"Did you tell your mom and dad we were going?" Rosanna asked him as she opened the door. Carl nodded. "All right, let's go." Rick waited for them by the gate to let them out. He hugged his son and nodded at Rosanna.

"Have fun, guys, and good luck!" he said in a cheerier tone than he had had for a while. Rosanna smiled and followed Carl into the woods. Carl beamed up at her as they lost sight of the storage units.

"What d'you think we've got this time?" he asked quietly, one hand on the small handgun his father had given him. Rosanna shrugged and smiled back.

"Who knows?"

They made their way to the first snare, but nothing was in it, although the snare had been activated. Carl looked disappointed as Rosanna reset the snare. "How can the animals get out of it?"

"Some animals are smart. They'll trigger the snare on purpose. Other times they may not have been caught correctly, so they wiggle out. Once, my father and I found a weasel's paw next to one of our snares. The bugger had chewed off its own foot to get away."

"Gross," Carl grimaced. Rosanna chuckled. They walked on into the woods, with Rosanna on high alert for walkers and wildlife. "Rosanna, can I ask you something?" Carl broke the silence.

"Of course, kiddo."

He tilted his hat so he could look at her directly. "Do you think my mom and dad are going to get a divorce?" Rosanna coughed to hide her discomfiture.

"First of all, honey, your parents can't get a divorce. There's no lawyers or court systems left to divorce them," she explained gently as she tried to gather her thoughts.

"I guess so," Carl sounded uneasy. "But what if they decide they don't want to be married anymore?"

"Why do you think they want to get a divorce anyway, Carl?"

He shrugged. "Mom's real mad at Dad. Y'know, because of Shane." Rosanna thought about it for a moment.

"Your dad did what he had to, to keep the group alive. Shane wasn't a good man, Carl." He glared at her.

"Shane's the reason my mom and me are alive. He kept us safe," he told her sternly.

"That's true, he did. But some people change, Carl. He may have been a good man once, but you know how he acted at the farm. And if Rick says he went after him, I believe him. We're all trying to survive this horrible world. Shane was like a cannon ready to explode. Maybe everything that happened made him lose his mind." She didn't want to tell Carl that he and his mother were the reason Shane went insane. That was not something the kid needed to know.

"So you believe my dad, that Shane tried to kill him?" Rosanna paused and knelt before Carl, looking straight into his eyes.

"I believe Rick. You were there, weren't you? What did you see?" Carl bit his lip.

"I saw my dad stab Shane. Shane fell to the ground, and my dad was crying and stuff. He said he didn't want to do it, but Shane made him. Then Dad saw me. He was talking to me, but all I saw was Shane. And . . . and then Shane got up and went after Dad." He hugged Rosanna as he began to sob. "It's really true, isn't it? When we die, we become a walker?" She hugged him back gently.

"Your dad says so, and what happened with Shane and Randall shows that he's probably right." Carl hugged her tighter.

"I don't wanna be a walker!" he almost howled.

"Shhh!" Rosanna whispered, looking around. "You don't want to scare away all the game, do you?" She wiped his tears on her shirt. "Come on, let's go see what's in the other snares." He took her hand and followed her through the woods.

At the next snare, Carl cheered up when they saw a rabbit caught in the ropes. Rosanna killed the animal by snapping its neck and tied the carcass to her belt before they walked to another snare. This time, the second she smelled rot, Rosanna held Carl back and went up to the snare herself. A walker knelt beside the torn apart corpse of a possum, shoving guts into its mouth. Rosanna stabbed it in the head and motioned for Carl to come to her.

"I want you to stay close," she told the boy. "There might be more of them nearby." Carl pulled out his gun and checked the safety. "Keep the safety on until I tell you to take it off," Rosanna cautioned. Carl nodded, glancing back and forth at the trees surrounding them. "Do you want to keep going or go back?" she asked. "There's only three more snares to check." Carl chewed on his lip.

"Let's just keep going. I'm not afraid." She smiled at him and began walking towards the next snare. Suddenly, she stopped and turned around. She could hear faint screams coming from the direction of the storage units. Rosanna looked down at Carl, who was scanning the forest for the threat.

"Carl, we need to go back. Now." He glanced up at her.

"Why?"

"I just have a bad feeling." She bit her lip. "I need you to get on my back. I'll carry you. We'll go faster that way." He looked at her, confused.

"I can run fast," he insisted.

"Not as fast as me. Get on, hold on tight, and keep your eyes closed. Promise?" Carl frowned, but nodded and pushed his gun into his waistband. Rosanna knelt and felt the boy climb onto her back and put his arms around her neck. "Remember, keep your eyes closed." She hoped he obeyed and she took off, as fast as she could go. The woods passed in a blur around her as she ran for the storage units. What had taken them almost half an hour to walk sped by in minutes. The screams grew louder, and Carl's hold on her neck tightened when they got close enough for him to hear.

The storage units were in chaos. Maggie, Beth, Carol, and Lori were sprinting back and forth between the units and the vehicles as they frantically tried to gather as much of their supplies as they could. T-Dog, Glenn, Rick, Daryl, and Hershel were shooting at a small herd of walkers by the opposite fence of the gate. _Good, we can still get the cars out safely._ She saw that the herd was nowhere near as large as the one that took over the farm, but the problem was there were enough to push over the fence. It was tilting precariously towards the men. Rosanna tightened her hold on Carl. "Okay," she whispered. "I'm going to run us to the gate. We're going to get through, and you're going to get straight in to one of the cars. Got it?"

"Yes," Carl whispered back. Rosanna took off, getting to the gate in seconds. She opened the clips that held it closed and slid through the opening as soon as it was wide enough. Sprinting to one of the cars, Rosanna opened a door and turned to let Carl slide off. Lori rushed past her, carrying boxes of canned foods that looked too heavy for her to lift in her pregnant state.

"Thank God you're back," Lori cried as she pushed the boxes into the trunk and closed the door. She looked over at Carol. "Tell the others this one's full!" Maggie and Beth ran by with backpacks of people's belongings and threw them into the back of the other vehicle.

Rosanna looked over at the men, noticing right away that the fence was about to give. "We need to go, now!" she shouted at the women. They all turned to her and hurried to the cars. Lori climbed in beside Carl, and Carol took the wheel of one, while Beth got in the other with Maggie sliding into the driver's seat. "I'm going to go get the guys," Rosanna said to Carol and Maggie. "You both pull over closer to them so they can get in." They nodded and Rosanna lost no time in running over to the men. Just before she reached them, the fence went down. Walkers began swarming the opening. Rosanna drew her swords and jumped into the fray.

Rick was still shooting his revolvers, but the others had run out of ammo and had pulled their knives instead. Rosanna heard the cars pull up behind her. "Get to the cars!" she shouted. T-Dog and Hershel obeyed immediately, but Daryl, Glenn, and Rick had too many walkers upon them. Rosanna beheaded two of the walkers that were threatening Glenn and motioned with her chin as she stabbed their brains. "Get to the damn cars!" she ordered, and spun to behead another walker as Glenn ran as fast as he could to Maggie's car. Rosanna stabbed another walker through the eye as she noticed more of them coming out of the woods. "Hurry, there's more out there!" she yelled at Rick and Daryl. They both killed the walkers they were facing and spun around, running for the cars.

Daryl grabbed Rosanna by the arm. "Come on, I got to get my bike and my crossbow!" he shouted. She took his hand and ran past the cars as Rick hopped in the front seat of Carol's car. "Go!" Daryl yelled as he passed the vehicles. Maggie and Carol didn't argue, heading towards the gate. Rosanna ran ahead of them to open the gate and the cars sped down the road. In no time at all, Daryl pulled up next to her and she jumped on, holding tight to him as they followed the others.

Rosanna calculated they had gone at least ten miles, in the opposite direction of the tiny town, before the first vehicle pulled over in the middle of nowhere. Maggie's car pulled up behind Carol, and Rosanna and Daryl pulled up not too long after. Rick and the men got out of the cars to establish a safe perimeter, an easy feat as they had come out of the woods and into a patch of pastureland. Once Rick declared it was safe, the others got out and looked around at each other.

"Anyone hurt?" Rick asked immediately. Most shook their heads, but Hershel looked like he was in pain.

"I twisted my ankle," he said unhappily. "It's not broken, but it hurts."

"Were we able to save the medicines?" Rick looked at his wife. She shrugged.

"I got them," Beth said quietly, going to the trunk of the car and pulling out a cloth shopping bag full of pills. She searched around until she found a painkiller and after reading the directions, she gave her father two of them, plus a bottle of water.

"Good for you, Beth," Rick said approvingly. "Okay, we need to take stock of what we got. Let's do it quickly. Daryl, T-Dog, Glenn, you three keep watch." Hershel sat in one of the cars with his leg elevated as the women pulled everything out of the trunks. Rick looked over everything and nodded at them. "We have food enough for a week at least, six gallons of water, all the medicines, a few extra gallons of gas, a box of body washes, twelve tubes of toothpaste, a tub of laundry soap, six bottles of propane, our camp stove, a couple pots, our box of utensils, and everyone's personal backpacks." He sighed with relief. "I'm glad we have these things. Everything went to shit so quickly . . ." He wiped his forehead. "I didn't think you all would be able to grab this much stuff!" Rick gave his wife a rare smile and look of validation. She smiled shyly back at him.

"The only things we're missing are the blankets and pillows," Carol said as she put her hands on her hips and surveyed their haul. "That and at least four more boxes of food. And all of those laundry soaps and stuff."

"You did what you could," Rick said quickly, patting the woman on the shoulder. She smiled, but her eyes were filled with tears.

"I'm sorry," Carol said sadly. "I'm being ridiculous. I kinda thought we had found a place we could spend the winter in."

"We _will_ find a place," Rick insisted, looking Carol in the eye. Lori put her arms around her son.

"I'm so glad you and Rose made it back. I don't know what I would have done if we would have had to leave you!" She pulled him close.

"Rose knew something was wrong, that's why we came back," Carl said through his mother's hair. "She put me on her back and we ran here. Rose can run _fast_! It took us a long time to get to the last snare we checked, but we got back here in minutes!" Rosanna drew in her breath as Rick, Carol, and Maggie looked at her oddly. She noticed Daryl listening in to the conversation.

"That's 'cause Rose was in that running thing in school." Daryl looked at Rosanna. "What's it called? Oh yeah, _cross country._ " Rosanna smiled immediately and nodded, playing along.

"Yeah. Um, I was in cross country when I was in high school. And I've ran in marathons and stuff. Anyway, we really weren't that far away."

"No, I'm sure we were pretty far out there, Rose," Carl insisted. "I know you told me to keep my eyes shut while you ran, but I peeked. We were going _fast_! Like a car!"

Rosanna laughed weakly and she ruffled Carl's hair. "You're being silly! No one can run as fast as a car!"

"But . . ." Carl began, but his mother pulled him back into her arms.

"It doesn't matter, Carl," she said. "What matters is that you're safe." She smiled at him and kissed his forehead. "Rose is right, no one can run as fast as a car. You were imagining things." Carl looked like he was going to argue, but Lori shushed him. "Come on," she told him. "Help us get these things back in the cars." Carl's brow furrowed as he regarded Rosanna, but he followed his mother anyway.

"So we're all good?" Daryl asked, glancing at Rosanna before focusing on Rick. Rick drew his gaze from his son and nodded.

"We're better off than I thought we'd be," Rick said with satisfaction. He glanced up at the sun. "We've got a while before nightfall. Let's focus on finding a place to hole up in for the night." He pulled out one of his maps and studied it. "There's another town about thirty miles away. I want to take the back roads, find a spot to sleep just outside the town, then we can check it out tomorrow. We're not taking anything out of the vehicles besides what we need for the night. I'm not going to make that mistake again. We don't need to be scrambling for our supplies if we're in a situation where we need to get out fast."

They all piled back into their vehicles and continued on. It took longer than it should have to get close to the town, as they were taking the back roads. To their dismay, the outskirts of the town were crawling with walkers. The group backtracked, consulted the map, and tried for another town to the southeast, siphoning gas from cars parked at a gas station on the way. However, that town was also filled with walkers. Rick looked at the map again, and they tried another tiny town several miles away, one with only a single gas station, a mom and pop grocery store, and a mechanic on the miniscule main road. There weren't many walkers, they could have taken them out easily, but no place in the town looked safe enough to spend the night in. It wasn't until almost dark that they came upon a double wide mobile home set in a large, empty lot in the middle of pastureland. The lack of trees made it easy to see what was coming in all directions. The lot was surrounded on three sides by a tall wooden fence.

Rosanna, riding behind Daryl, took all this in as they followed the two vehicles into the lot, close to the house for easy access and a quick retreat. They quickly fell back into the pre-storage lot routine for sweeping through a potential spot to spend the night. Lori, Carl, Beth, and Carol stayed in the safety of the vehicles while Rick, Daryl, Rosanna, and Glenn checked the perimeter of the lot for walkers. Hershel, T-Dog, and Maggie stood around the cars keeping guard. Once the perimeter was secure, Rosanna followed Daryl to the back porch door while Rick and Glenn went to the front of the house. Daryl knocked on the door and waited to see if they could hear any walkers. Rosanna didn't smell any, but it was better to be safe than sorry. They went in, moving cautiously, and still Rosanna didn't smell any rot. The house smelled like any house that had been closed up for a while . . . a musty, slightly mildewed smell that was unpleasant, but breathable. Rosanna and Daryl met up with Rick and Glenn in the open living room/kitchen area and they all moved down the hall, opening doors and checking out each room.

"We're good," Rick said with a sigh of relief as they exited the final bedroom. He nodded at Glenn. "Go get the others."

Rosanna looked around as they went back into the living room. There were pictures of an elderly couple on the wall, the two of them looking very much in love. Moving on, there were more pictures on bookshelves and cabinets, all of the same couple, only they were much younger. One was a wedding photo, and from the clothes the couple was wearing, Rosanna judged them to have been married sometime in the nineteen fifties. There were no pictures of children, however, and Rosanna wondered idly if the couple had been childless by choice. _I wonder what happened to them?_ she asked herself, looking at the dusty furniture that looked well-kept despite having not been cleaned in a very long time. Everything in the house seemed in its place, nothing looked like anyone had been in there scavenging. She went into the kitchen and opened cupboards, looking for food. _The couple must have left and taken all the food,_ she thought as she found nothing but a few dust bunnies. The pantry was also bare.

"Anything?" Maggie asked as she walked in carrying a box containing the canned foods that would become their dinner. Rosanna shook her head.

"Nope. Not a thing."

"That sucks," Maggie answered, setting the box down on the kitchen counter. "So who's got the bedrooms?" Rosanna laughed.

"I'm sure you and Glenn get one," she told her friend and waggled her eyebrows teasingly. "Not that it helps."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Maggie mock glared and put her hand on her hip.

"Just that the two of you are _loud_."

Maggie turned red. "We . . . we are not!" Her mouth quirked up at the corners. "Well, we try not to be. Wait . . ." she turned redder, ". . . you're not saying my _dad_ can hear us?" Rosanna shrugged and grinned. Maggie covered her face with her hands.

"What are you girls up to?" Hershel asked as he came into the room. Rosanna started giggling. Maggie moaned. Hershel looked at them both like they were crazy. "Never mind."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen:

Rosanna followed Rick, Daryl and T-Dog into the house, followed closely by Carl and Glenn. Rick and T-Dog took out the two walkers who stood in the foyer and she moved smoothly around the bodies into the kitchen, Carl moving alongside her like a shadow, his gun raised and ready to shoot. He followed her up to one of the bedrooms, where a walker stood with its back to them. Rosanna nudged Carl and he raised his gun, shooting the walker cleanly through the center of its forehead as it turned to attack. The group moved quickly and efficiently through the whole house, making sure it was walker free before coming back to meet in the living room, except Daryl, who they could hear still moving around upstairs.

"Good job, kiddo," Rosanna told Carl. It had been a couple of weeks since Carl had been allowed to come with the group to clear out their chosen place to stay for the night. In that time, he had done excellently, killing a few walkers himself, proving he was just as capable to help as an adult. It had taken a few weeks just to convince Lori to allow her son to accompany them, but she had eventually acknowledged that Carl needed to learn all the tools of survival in their new world. Making sure a potential sleeping place was safe was high on the list.

The group had run out of supplies almost three weeks ago, a month after losing their storage units, and were now living on what food they could find or hunt each day. Rosanna hoped there was some food in the house they had just cleared out, otherwise the group would go to bed hungry. Again. Footsteps sounded down the stairwell, and Rosanna looked up to see Daryl coming down, holding what looked like a ball of feathers in his hands.

"What's that?" she asked him, moving aside so Maggie and Glenn could carry one of the walker's bodies out to the yard.

"Owl," he replied gruffly. "There ain't much meat on it, but maybe we could make a soup or something. Drink the broth." Rosanna pressed her lips together as she looked at the owl. Something didn't sit right with her about eating one.

"Don't you know it's unlucky to kill owls?" she asked. Daryl just shrugged, pulling out feathers and scattering them onto the floor as he went into the kitchen. Rosanna sighed and watched as Carol, Lori, Beth, and Hershel began bringing in the items the group needed for the night. She eyed Lori's enormous belly with worry. The woman was so thin her belly protruded grotesquely. Lori smiled weakly at Rosanna as she passed her and she smiled back, taking Lori's bundles away. "Go sit down and rest," Rosanna ordered her friend. Lori put a hand on her belly and nodded, walking over to a couch in the living room and putting her feet up on the cluttered coffee table.

Rosanna put the bundles near Lori and went into the kitchen to help Carl look for food. The boy had already gone through most of the cabinets and Rosanna winced when the boy pulled several cans of dog food out from one of the shelves. "We haven't had to eat that yet," she told him. Carl just shrugged.

"It's all that's there."

"It may make us sick," Rosanna pointed out. Carl shrugged again and walked out of the room. She followed him into the living room, where everyone was setting up a sleeping space or going through their belongings. Beth handed Rosanna her backpack and she took a seat on the floor, leaning up against the wall while she took stock of the little she had. Two extra pairs of jeans, four pairs of socks, three shirts, an extra bra and a couple pairs of underwear. One washcloth, one hairbrush, one small bit of soap that looked like it would last only a couple more times before it was gone. An extra dagger, a box of ammo for her revolvers. A water bottle, with only a third of it filled with drinkable water.

Rosanna frowned as she looked at the soap. None of them had washed either themselves or their clothes for a few weeks, the little water they found was used for drinking and cooking. With her sense of smell, the stench of all of them in the same room was almost unbearable. They had run out of toothpaste a long time ago, but they were lucky most homes they stayed in usually had a box of baking soda to use instead. She put everything back in her pack and looked up just as Carl began opening the cans of dog food. Everyone except Daryl watched Carl solemnly. T-Dog looked disgusted, but resigned. Rick turned from the window he was looking out of and strode over to his son. He stared down at him for a moment, then picked up the cans and threw them across the room. Everyone's eyes looked from Carl to Rick and back again, but no one said a word. But that wasn't surprising.

Ever since they had lost the storage units, Rick had become more and more mercurial in his temperament, much more stern and severe in his edicts. Rosanna knew that the former sheriff lost a little bit of himself each night the group went to bed hungry, or they had to leave a potential place to sleep in a rush when more walkers attacked than they could handle. She felt he was walking a fine line between sanity and madness, but not in the psychotic way Shane had been. Rick's madness was that of a man who was trying his damnedest to protect his family but was failing. Each day they had to scavenge to find something to eat, each time they had to get away quickly because of walkers, every moment they weren't living in the safe place Rick still believed was out there for them killed him a little bit inside.

T-Dog looked out the window and hissed. Rick glanced outside and motioned to the others. Their place had been compromised, they had to go. The group quickly gathered up their belongings and rushed out the back door to the cars. Rosanna looked behind her as she got on the motorcycle behind Daryl. A group of about twenty walkers was descending upon the house, and more were coming out through the trees. She sighed and looked up at the early afternoon sun, hoping they would find another place before dark. A couple of nights spent in the cars on the road was enough to let her know nothing beat the safety of four walls around them while they slept.

They made it several miles down the road before Rick called a halt so he could look at the map. Everyone, including Lori and Beth pulled weapons out and surveyed their surroundings carefully. Rosanna sniffed, but didn't detect any walkers. Maggie pulled out the map and studied it anxiously. "We have no place left to go," she said dully. "The herd we ran into before was going this way," she pointed at a red mark, "so we'll be cut off from going south."

"What do you think, was it about a hundred and fifty head?" Daryl asked.

"That was last week," Glenn answered. "There's probably more by now." The others began pointing out other areas on the map that were circled in red, areas that held herds.

"We'll have to go this way," Rick said, running a finger along one of the highways.

"It's like we've spent the winter going in circles," T-Dog pointed out.

"We haven't gone west yet," Rosanna said, narrowing her eyes at the map. "Maybe we just need to get out of this entire area. We've looked for a place to stay all over the county, we need to try somewhere further out."

"I still think we should have gone to the coast," T-Dog mumbled.

"Rosanna's right, we should try going west," Rick made his decision. Maggie nodded and rolled up the map, walking away to stow it back in her car. Glenn followed Maggie, while T-Dog turned to survey the woods around them.

"I hear water," he said. "Let's fill up our water jugs while we can."

"Maybe do a little laundry?" Carol suggested. Rick nodded his agreement as Hershel stepped up closer to him.

"Lori can't take much more of this," he said solemnly, jutting his chin out at the pregnant woman, who sat in one of the cars looking exhausted. "We need to find a place, quickly."

Rick glanced at his wife. "There's nothing I can do about that. We'll find a place when we find a place." Hershel pressed his lips together and walked over to Lori. Daryl looked up from his motorcycle.

"We need food," Daryl said. "We should hunt while we can."

"Carl and I will go this way," Rosanna agreed, pointing to one side of the road.

"Good, me and Rick will go this way," Daryl pointed to the opposite side. Rosanna wasn't surprised. Rick had approached Daryl several weeks ago about learning how to track game. Daryl had admitted one night while she and he were on watch together that Rick was a lost cause. "The guy can walk quiet enough to not scare no game, but damn, he can't track worth a bitch," Daryl had confided. Rick's lack of hunting skills was all Daryl would talk to Rosanna about. Since he had told her he would never kiss her again, they had had almost nothing to say to each other and tended to stay far apart. Once, Rosanna had tried to ride in one of the vehicles with the others and leave him be, but Daryl had gotten so offended that she didn't want to ride with him that she went ahead and rode with him just to calm his temper. She didn't understand him at all. He wanted her close to him on the bike, but nowhere else. He had remained completely silent when they were paired on watch together until Rick's nonexistent hunting skills gave him something to talk about. She had figured out early on that Daryl looked down his nose a bit at men who didn't know how to hunt.

She watched as Rick and Daryl walked off into the woods, then motioned to Carl to follow her. Lori's eyes watched them anxiously as they walked away, but Rosanna knew the woman was too exhausted to put up a fight about Carl going hunting. Rosanna followed Lori's rule about not being gone longer than half an hour, but even with the restriction Carl had managed to shoot a couple of skinny rabbits. They had just made it back to the cars when Daryl and Rick came jogging out of the woods.

"We found a place," Rick said, in a tone that made Rosanna pay closer attention. Rick's eyes were shining, his body was trembling with excitement. It was clear something major had happened. The others glanced at each other, then back at Rick as they waited for their leader to speak. He grinned at them. "We found a prison. It's got lookout towers, high fences, secure looking buildings, everything we need in a permanent home."

"A prison?" Beth looked scared. Her sister put an arm around her.

"Yes. A prison. There's open space inside that will be perfect for crops. The place is sectioned off, too. If walkers break through the first fence, there are others in place to keep them out." Rick was practically beaming.

"Okay, so what's the catch?" Lori asked in a harsh tone as she stared at her husband indifferently.

"It's swarming with walkers," Daryl told her. "The prisoners that died there."

"Then how is it supposed to be safe?" Maggie's eyebrows furrowed.

"It's sectioned off," Rick explained. "We can clean out one section at a time. It'll be almost easy." Carl's eyes brightened as he caught his father's enthusiasm. Lori and Carol exchanged worried looks. T-Dog, Glenn, and Maggie looked dubious. Hershel surveyed Rick with a stoic gaze.

"Are you sure you think we can clear a place that big?" Rosanna asked. Rick nodded, but Daryl spoke up.

"It'll be a bitch, but we can do it if all of us help."

It didn't take long for them to all pile into the vehicles and make their way to the prison. Rosanna looked it over and let out a low whistle. "That's a lot of walkers," she said to Daryl as she climbed off the motorcycle. But as she studied the place more, she began to feel some of Rick's interest in the place. Like he had said, there _were_ a lot of walkers, but each group of them were stuck in their own section, making the prospect of killing them all look much more manageable. The fenced in grassy areas looked perfect for growing crops. The fences were tall, topped with barbed wire, and looked strong. She glanced at the others, who looked hopeful as well.

"How are we going to do this?" Daryl asked, a bit harshly as he stared at the walkers.

"We're going to take them out one section at a time," Rick replied. "We have enough time to do one section tonight, we'll tackle the next ones tomorrow." He approached the fence with a set of bolt cutters. The others surrounded him, taking out the few walkers on their side of the fence. Rick cut a slit all of them could fit through and they followed them through the hole quickly so Glenn could repair the fence behind them. They found themselves in a hallway created by fences, with walkers on both sides. Rosanna drew her swords and stabbed the walkers who attacked the fence through their brains. As they jogged through the corridor, more walkers approached the fence but Rick told her to leave the rest. "They can't get through, let's just get this done."

Opening a gate, they approached an entry partially covered by a turned over truck. Rick surveyed the prison with a smile on his face. "It's perfect. We just need to shut that gate and pick off the ones in this section one by one."

"How do we shut the gate?" Hershel asked, looking at the field of walkers before him.

"I'll do it. I'm fast," said Glenn. Maggie stared at him in surprise and dismay. Rosanna shook her head.

"I'm faster. I'll do it," she announced. Daryl gave her a warning look but didn't say anything.

Rick nodded at Rosanna in agreement. "No, Glenn. I want you and Maggie over there, draw them over to you and pop them through the fence." He began barking orders and Rosanna turned away, looking at the gate she was supposed to close. It wasn't far, but she would have to run quickly. She prayed she wouldn't have to reveal her true speed to the group. Her eyes met Daryl's and he looked sternly at her, shaking her head. She shrugged at him. What else could she do? She _was_ the fastest, and this was the group's lives at stake.

Glenn handed her the carabiner clips as the others moved to where Rick told them to go, some of them up in the tower, and others trying to lead the rest of the walkers away. They sprung into action. Beth, Maggie, Glenn, and T-Dog ran down the corridor, shouting and banging at the fence, drawing most of the walkers their way. Rosanna approached the gate as Rick checked her over, giving her a nod of approval as he opened the gate for her. She slid through, holding her swords at the ready, and waited for Rick to close the gate before she took cover behind the flipped over truck and eyed her destination. She started to run, keeping herself at an even pace, cutting off the heads of walkers who stood in her way. None of them approached her, and Rosanna hoped the group wouldn't notice. Shots rang out around her, as well as the _thwack_ sound of Daryl's crossbow as it hit its targets. Maggie, Beth, Glenn and T-Dog's shouts put her on edge, but she kept running.

She kicked one of the walkers back inside the gate when she reached it and quickly pulled it closed, putting the clips in place before spinning around and going after the nearest group of walkers with her swords. When they were down she turned and ran for the closest watchtower, killed the walker guard that was inside, and ran up the stairs. From her new vantage point, Rosanna watched as Daryl, Hershel, Rick, Carl, and Carol shoot the rest of the walkers from the safety of the other tower. T-Dog had pulled his gun out by that point and was shooting them from behind the fence, as were Maggie, Glenn, and Beth. _Carol and Beth are getting to be good markswomen,_ she thought with glee. Even Lori stood behind the fence by the tower, shooting walkers like a pro. Rosanna grinned and pulled out her revolvers, shooting one walker after another until Rick called a halt.

Rosanna jogged back to the others, who had wide grins on their faces. "That was fantastic!" Carol beamed.

"You did some nice shootin'," Daryl told her, clapping her gently on the shoulder. Rosanna fought back a twinge of jealousy and turned away.

"Beth and Carl, I'm so proud of both of you!" she told the two young people, giving them a hug. Carl smiled and Beth looked pleased with herself.

"I got seven!" she said excitedly to Rosanna. "I breathed in deep and shot when I released the breath, just like Shane taught me!" Her eyes grew wide at the mention of Shane and she glanced guiltily over at Rick, but the sheriff was too gleeful to pay attention to her. Rosanna stepped in Beth's line of vision and put her hands on the young woman's shoulders.

"You did excellently," Rosanna said. "You got the gun thing down, now you should ask Daryl to show you how to shoot his crossbow."

"Do you think he will?" Beth's eyebrows scrunched together.

"I think he wants you to learn as many ways to defend yourself and the group as you can," Rosanna said resolutely. Beth smiled shyly. "Come on, Annie Oakley." Rosanna put her arm around her friend and they followed the others into the prison grounds. Carol ran ahead of everyone else and spun around, her arms out.

"We have so much space!" she cried with a grin.

"Right, now we need to get set up," Rick said, still with the silly grin on his face. His tone and expression were noticeably lighter. "Daryl, Maggie, and I will bring the vehicles in. T-Dog, Glenn, Rosanna, can you three start piling the bodies from that area up, get them out of the way? I don't want them contaminating our space. We'll burn them tomorrow. Hershel and Carl, if you could dig us a fire pit, that would be great. Carol, Lori, Beth, can you three can get the stuff we need for tonight out of the cars?" Everyone looked at each other and nodded. The difference in the old Rick that barked out the orders and the new Rick that asked politely was obvious to the entire group.

Rosanna followed T-Dog and Glenn to the area Rick had specified and they got to work. The others went to do as Rick had asked. In no time at all, it was dark and they were all gathered around a cheery campfire, except for Daryl, who was on guard at the gate, and Rick, who was guarding the perimeter and looking for weak spots in the fence at the same time. Rosanna had cleaned and skinned Carl's rabbits and Carol had roasted the pair over the fire. Everyone was relaxed and contented, even though the rabbits hadn't yielded much meat, it was still enough to stave off the pangs of hunger they had all been feeling since that morning. Rosanna glanced at Lori, who sat chewing on a bone. The older woman was emaciated, with pale skin and purple circles under her eyes. Her apathetic gaze was on her husband in the distance.

"We need to get all the bodies out of this section tomorrow," T-Dog said, breaking the silence. "Burn them far away from the water source." He grinned. "If we dig a canal under the fence, we can bring the water right to us!"

"This soil is good," Hershel said in his calm voice. "Fertile. We can plant seeds here, grow crops. Tomatoes, cucumbers, soybeans" His hand reached out to stroke Beth's hair and she smiled up at her father.

"This will be a good place to have the baby. It'll be safe here," Beth told Lori, who looked at her with tired eyes and gave her a weak smile.

Suddenly, Carol stood up and brushed off her pants, grabbed a plate, set a few chunks of rabbit on it and headed in Daryl's direction. Rosanna kept an eye on her as she walked off. Carol started climbing the truck Daryl was standing on and he reached down to give her a hand. "It's not much," she heard Carol say.

"I bet you ate all the rest yourself," Daryl answered, his voice almost teasing.

"Don't be mean," Carol chided, but Rosanna knew she was smiling. "What do you think of all this?"

"This place looks good. Defendable. If we can clear out all the walkers."

"Yeah, well, Rick's gotten us farther than I thought he would," Carol said with a shrug. "Shane could never have done that." She began rolling her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Daryl asked, popping a bite of rabbit into his mouth.

"That rifle had a strong kick back," Carol explained, rubbing her neck. Rosanna watched with eyes narrowed as Daryl set down his crossbow and began massaging the woman's shoulder. Carol turned so Daryl could get at it better, and Rosanna could see the longing on her face. Her eyes were closed, but she was smiling. All of a sudden her eyes opened and locked on Rosanna's. They stared at each other for a few moments, then Carol turned away to face Daryl. "It's pretty romantic out here," she told him. "Wanna fool around?"

Rosanna felt like her heart stopped. Her eyes filled with tears and she pulled her knees into her chest, looking away from the couple standing on top of the truck. She heard Carol giggle, and bit her lip. "What's wrong, Rose?" Carl asked her. She forced herself to smile and relaxed her legs to sit back in a cross-legged position.

"Nothing, kiddo. Just happy that your dad was right, and we found a place."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Beth asked, looking concerned. "You looked like you were really angry."

"I'm fine. Really," Rosanna assured the younger woman. Carol and Daryl came to sit by the fire while T-Dog went to take Daryl's place. Rosanna avoided looking at them, staring at the flames instead.

"Bethy, sing Patty Riley to me," he said with a gentle smile. "I haven't heard that since your mother was alive."

"Not that one," Maggie said quickly. "Please." Hershel gave his eldest a nod and looked back at Beth.

"How about 'The Partin' Glass'?" Beth rolled her eyes.

"Dad, no one wants to hear that," she answered.

"Why not?" Glenn asked, giving Beth an encouraging smile. Beth sighed and straightened before starting the song. Her voice was sweet and low, but clear as a bell. The others silenced and listened with smiles. Maggie joined her sister in song for the final part of the song and Rosanna closed her eyes, listening.

"Beautiful," Hershel praised his daughters when they finished.

"All right, you should all turn in," Rick told the group as he walked up. "We've got a big day tomorrow. I'll take first watch on the perimeter. Glenn, Maggie, you two take second watch, and Rosanna and Daryl will take third."

Rosanna felt Carol's gaze on her as she spread out her sleeping bag and made herself as comfortable as possible.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty:

Rosanna jumped down off the truck where she had been standing guard and walked over to the group, who were just waking up with the dawn. Rick was pacing back and forth, staring over at the area he planned on clearing that day. She accepted a hot mug of weak instant tea from Lori, knowing that the tea would be all the group would consume that day unless they could locate the prison commissary or go hunting. And she didn't think there would be time for hunting, even if Rick's plans went the way he hoped.

"Okay," Rick began once everyone was awake and had drunk their tea. "This is how it's going to go down. Glenn, Maggie, Daryl, Rosanna, T-Dog, and I will clear the area in front of the building. We're low on ammo, so we're going to do this hand to hand. Hershel, you'll open and close the gate behind us. The rest of you will try and lure the walkers to the fence." Everyone nodded in agreement and Rick gave them a grim smile. "Let's do this."

They gathered around the gate, weapons drawn, as Hershel let them in and closed the gate quickly. Walkers started moving towards them, growling and moaning. Rosanna and the others went into action, stabbing them in the head as they came close. They moved in tight formation, everyone looking out for the other's backs. Lori, Carl, Beth, and Carol screamed and beat the fence, trying their hardest to lure some of the walkers toward them. Walker after walker went down, and Rosanna smiled grimly, feeling like Rick's plan was actually going to work.

"Don't break formation!" Rick called out to T-Dog, who had broke away from the group to pick up a riot shield from the ground. He grabbed it and used it to shove away a walker, then got back into his place. They made it to the building and Rick opened the door, but paused when he noticed a large group of walkers around the corner. He motioned for the group to take cover and they all leaned against the wall. Suddenly, walkers in riot gear came out from around the corner and started towards them. Daryl shot a bolt at one of them, but it just bounced off its helmet and it kept coming.

"Shit," he spat, looking to Rick for guidance. Another walker in a gas mask came out of the open door, heading for Maggie, but Rosanna stepped forward and beheaded it, then Maggie stabbed it in the brain. The others fought to kill the walkers in riot gear, but the helmets they were wearing made it near impossible to kill them. Rick and Daryl ran forward and pulled the gate closed on the group of walkers in the fenced area around the corner. Rosanna leapt forward as a walker closed in on Glenn and swiftly beheaded it, swiping cleanly under its helmet. She spun and beheaded another, then another, while the others pulled the helmets off the bodiless heads and stabbed them in the brains.

When they were done, the group surveyed their accomplishment. The area was strewn with walker bodies, but they were all dead besides the ones contained in the fence. Rosanna took a deep breath and grinned at a blood spattered Maggie. The others looked around, breathing heavily. "We did it!" Glenn said happily, grinning at his girlfriend.

"We did," Rick said, looking around with a grim expression.

"A couple of these were civilians," Daryl pointed out. "There ain't just guards and prisoners here."

"You think the walls are down somewhere?" T-Dog asked. "If there are, it's not like we can rebuild them."

"We're going to check out every inch of this place," Rick said. "Come on." They followed him across the courtyard, waving at the others standing anxiously outside the fence so they knew everything was under control. Daryl opened the door to the building and everyone stood with weapons drawn, searching for walkers. Rick led them into the room, which looked like a common room for the prisoners. There were picnic tables in the room, along with a lot of trash. Another door looked like it led to a row of cells. Rick climbed the stairs to the guard tower to make sure it was clear. He came back down and wiped his forehead.

"There was a guard up there, but he shot himself," he said quietly. He held up a bunch of keys. "I found this on him." He went over to the cell block door and fumbled with the keys until he found the right one to unlock it. They entered the cell block in silence. Rosanna peeked into the cell closest to her, noting the dead body within. She poked it with her sword but it didn't move. The others were doing the same to the other cells. Daryl walked up the stairs to check the cells above them. Rick followed him after making sure the doors at the end of the block were locked. Rosanna heard the groans of walkers and ran up to make sure the men were okay. Two walkers were in two different locked cells, and Daryl took them out quickly with his knife.

Rick smiled at her as they made their way back down to the others. "This block is secure," he announced. "Glenn and T-Dog, why don't you two go get Lori and the others while the rest of us start cleaning this place up?" They nodded and walked out. Rick unlocked each cell and they got to work. Rosanna teamed up with Maggie, and the two women began clearing up trash and debris while the men drug the corpses outside. It wasn't long before Lori, Carol, Hershel, and the rest of the group came in bringing their belongings, looking around the cell block with interest.

"What do you think?" Rick asked.

"Home sweet home," Glenn answered, taking his bags to one of the cleaner cells.

"There's enough room for everyone!" Beth said enthusiastically.

"There are only a few cells that need a deep cleaning to get rid of the blood," Rick said. "Otherwise, the other cells are fine. There's definitely room for everyone to have their own space."

"Are you sure this is secure?" Carol asked.

Rick nodded. "Yes. This cell block is, anyway."

"What about the rest of the prison?" Hershel looked wary.

"Tomorrow we'll look for the cafeteria and the infirmary," Rick told him. "We'll clear those out, then we'll check out the rest of the place."

"So we just pick a cell?" Beth looked around.

"Any one you like," Rick smiled at her.

"I ain't sleeping behind no bars," Daryl insisted. He jutted his chin up at the top of the stairs. "I'll take the perch."

Rosanna took her bag from Carl, ruffled his hair, and checked out the cells. Hershel, Carol, Beth, Carl, and Lori all picked ones on the bottom row, so Rosanna went up to the second level. Daryl eyed her as she passed him, but didn't say anything. She peeked in one of the cells, but it was splattered with blood, so she looked at the one next to it. Finding it clean, she went in and dropped her bag on the bottom bunk. Her cell was about eight feet by six feet, windowless, with the bunk bed on the right side, a small nightstand beside it, and a toilet and sink on the left. It made her feel a little bit claustrophobic, but it wasn't bad. She sat on the bed and bounced up and down on the thin mattress. _Better than sleeping on the floor, or the ground._

Glenn and Maggie passed by her cell and Maggie grinned at her. Rosanna grinned back, biting her lip to keep from giggling. _I guess I'm the one who'll be hearing them go at it every night._ She could hear the others downstairs, getting settled in their cells. Rosanna bit her lip, staring at her backpack, then shook her head and opened it. She took out her few extra clothes and took a deep breath before re-folding everything and tucked them away in the bottom shelf of the nightstand. It was the first time since the farm that she had unpacked her bag with the expectation that she would be in one place for a while. After she was done, Rosanna peeked out of her doorway to see Daryl laying his sleeping bag on the floor of the perch, tossing his backpack in one corner and leaning his crossbow against the wall. She found herself staring at the muscles in his arms rippling as he worked. Suddenly he froze, and began to turn in her direction. She jumped back so he couldn't see her staring.

After a few moments, Rosanna peeked out again to see Daryl laying on his bed, trying to take a nap. She sighed and sat back down on her own bed, not wanting to lay down until she had cleaned off the dirt and gore she was covered in. Pulling out a package of baby wipes from her pack, Rosanna used several of them to wipe off her arms and legs, then unbraided her hair and twisted it into a bun high on her hair. She laid down and tried to make herself comfortable, then drifted off to sleep dreaming of being held in a man's strong arms.

She woke up the next morning feeling more refreshed than she had in ages. Unfortunately, her stomach was growling, and she hoped there would be food in the cafeteria. Rosanna pulled on her boots and strapped on her swords and revolvers, made sure her bowie knife was in its sheath on her belt, and strode downstairs. Hershel, Daryl, and Rick stood in the common area going through their weapons. The others stood around, eating something out of bowls. "Good morning," she said. "What's for breakfast?"

"Good ol' Top Ramen," Maggie grinned at her. "There's a couple boxes full over there." She pointed over in the corner, where their small camp stove had been set up, a pot of noodles on top.

"Too bad we didn't find these yesterday," Rosanna said, remembering that they had only had tea the day before. She fixed herself a bowl and ate it quickly. After rinsing and wiping out her bowl and fork, Rosanna stepped up to the table with the weapons just as Carol came to the door, asking Hershel to come with her.

"What's wrong?" Rick asked. Carol raised her eyebrow.

"Nothing to worry about."

The others wandered in, and Rick gave the order to suit up. "We've cleaned these things the best we could," he explained as he handed Rosanna a helmet. It reeked of walker, but at least it didn't have blood or guts in it. T-Dog was strapping on riot gear, while Maggie and Glenn helped each other put on their own. Carl put on a helmet but took it off quickly when Beth laughed at him. "You won't need that," Rick told his son, taking the helmet. "I need you to stay put."

"What?" Carl looked indignant. "Why can't I go?"

"We don't know what we're up against, that's why. And I need you to stay here and protect your mom," Rick said, putting his sheriff's hat back on Carl.

"I guess," Carl said glumly. Rick patted his shoulder. Rosanna noticed Hershel putting on a vest and she glanced at Rick to see if he noticed. When he didn't say anything, Rosanna knew they had discussed Hershel's participation earlier, and he was really going to go. She bit her lip, not wanting to say out loud that she didn't think the old man needed to come along.

"Let's go," Rick said casually, glancing at his wife, who stood on the catwalk above them. She gave him a half smile but he turned away, not acknowledging her at all. Rosanna frowned at him, but followed him out the door. Carl shut the door and locked it behind them.

They moved slowly down the dark corridor, staying close together, weapons at the ready. The stench of rot filled the air, and Rosanna couldn't tell if it was walkers or corpses that made the smell. Bodies littered the hallways, making it hard for the others to walk. Rosanna was glad she could see clearly in the dark, although the flashlights made it a bit tricky. She hovered close to Hershel, determined to protect him. Glenn spray painted arrows on the walls so they would be able to find their way back.

Rosanna looked around as they found themselves in another cell block. Half eaten bodies littered the ground around the open cell doors. Some were so demolished they looked like scraps of rancid meat on the floor, unrecognizable as bodies. They checked every cell, but nothing was moving. Everyone in that block looked like they had been eaten. Turning a corner, finding nothing but debris, they kept moving slowly with Rick in the lead. Walking along, Rosanna could hear a soft banging sound up ahead. She nudged Rick and pointed in the direction of the sound. Rick looked around the corner and motioned for them to go back.

"Walkers!" he cried as the group began running in the opposite direction. Rosanna ran too, although she wondered why they were running when they were supposed to be clearing out the walkers. They ran down corridor after corridor, turning and changing their direction when more walkers emerged from another hallway. One walker tried to grab Maggie, and Glenn pulled her away and into a different room.

"We're getting separated!" Rosanna called out to Rick, but he ignored her. She growled under her breath and began slicing apart walkers with her swords. Rick and the others huddled together in the next room, and were deciding what to do when she hurried in.

"We lost Glenn and Maggie," T-Dog was saying.

"We've got to go back!" Hershel insisted. Rick looked torn, but then he nodded.

"Let's go," he ordered, and they followed him out of the small room and into another corridor.

"Maggie! Glenn!" Hershel called out quietly, his face showing how worried he was. Rosanna followed him. He stepped over a walker on the ground that wasn't moving, calling out for his daughter, and Rosanna noticed the walker's head move slightly.

"Hershel!" she cried out, but she was too late. The walker grabbed Hershel's leg as he passed, taking a bite out of his ankle. She screamed and leapt forward to stab it in the head. Hershel cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Rick and the others ran over to them. Rosanna barely registered that Glenn and Maggie were with them. She knelt on the ground beside Hershel, tears flowing from her eyes. Glenn and Rick lifted him from the ground, each taking an arm as more walkers came down the opposite end of the hallway. Daryl began shooting them with his crossbow, but there were too many.

"This way!" Rosanna said, running for another room. It was chained with handcuffs. Without thinking, she grabbed the cuffs and ripped them apart, then kicked the doors open. The group rushed in and she slammed the doors shut behind them. She and Daryl held the doors closed while the others laid Hershel down on the ground. T-Dog grabbed a pipe and shoved it through the door handles, keeping the walkers from coming in. Rosanna stepped closer to Hershel as Rick began taking off his belt.

"Hold him down," he ordered above Hershel's pained cries. Rick tied the belt around the top of Hershel's knee and Rosanna knew what he was going to do. She stuffed her fist in her mouth to stifle her cry of horror. Rick pulled out an axe and without hesitation, cut off Hershel's leg below the knee. Hershel's cries abruptly stopped as he passed out.

"Is he dead? Is he dead?" Maggie cried over and over, holding her father's head with tears streaming down her face as Rick chopped at the leg repeatedly.

"Oh God!" Rick looked sick as he leaned back and inspected the stump of Hershel's leg. "He's bleeding out!" A movement across the room made Rosanna look up. Daryl was just as fast, raising his crossbow to aim straight at several figures behind a barred window. Rosanna drew one of her guns and pointed it at them. From what she could tell, they were alive, and they were prisoners. She drew in a breath and looked at Daryl. He glanced back at her and stepped closer to them.

"Holy shit!" one of them said.

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl snarled as he and Rosanna kept their weapons on the men staring back at them.

"Who the hell are _you_?" another one asked, his eyes squinted in suspicion.

"We've got to get him out of here!" Rick cried. Rosanna glanced behind her to see Maggie holding a shirt to her father's bleeding stump. Hershel was still mercifully passed out.

"Y'all come out of there, now!" Daryl snarled beside her, dragging her gaze from Hershel back to the men. There were five of them, and they came out slowly, their arms raised above their heads. From their attire, they looked like prisoners. The suspicious one kept his eyes on Hershel.

"What the fuck happened to him?" he asked.

"He got bit," Daryl answered.

"Bit? The fuck do you mean, _bit_?" The man pulled a handgun from the waistband of his pants.

"Whoa there, put that away!" T-Dog raised his gun.

"We need to get out of here, now!" Rick bellowed.

"I want to know who the fuck you are!" the man with the gun shouted, making the walkers at the door go into a frenzy.

"It doesn't matter who we are," Rosanna answered, her gun trained on the man. Behind her, Glenn dumped over a rolling table and the others helped him put Hershel on it.

"Let's go!" Rick ordered, and T-Dog opened the door. Walkers began shuffling in immediately, and Rosanna flipped around to help take them out. Daryl kept his crossbow aimed at the prisoners. When it was clear, Maggie and Rick began pushing Hershel out. Rosanna rushed in front of them to help T-Dog clear the hallway. They went as fast as they could, killing walkers and shoving them aside so the table could pass freely. From behind them, Rosanna could hear the prisoners following.

"Carol, Lori!" Rosanna called out as they entered their cell block. The women came running, along with Beth and Carl.

"What's going . . . _oh my God_!" Lori cried when she saw Hershel. They moved as a group to Hershel's cell, moving him from the table to the bed as gently as they could. Carol rushed to help, pulling out their box of meager medical supplies. She and Lori began putting pressure on Hershel's stump.

"Give us room!" Carol ordered, and everyone except for Maggie obeyed quickly. Beth burst into tears. Rosanna pulled the young woman into a hug, holding her tightly.

"What happened to my dad?" Beth sobbed.

"He was bit on the ankle," Rosanna explained. "Rick took the leg so the sickness didn't spread." She stroked Beth's hair. "It was the right thing to do, Beth, now your dad has a chance."

"There's so much blood," Beth whimpered. Rosanna held her tighter, and Carl pressed closer. She moved her arm to pull Carl into the hug.

"Hershel can't die," Carl whispered. "He can't! My mom needs him!" Rosanna said nothing, simply holding them close.

"Rosie, come here!" Daryl shouted from the common room. She released Beth and Carl, hurrying to his side.

"What is it?"

"Them prisoners are coming, get your gun out," he replied, aiming his crossbow at the door. She did as he said and waited. They came in the door one by one, looking around with bewildered expressions. "Don't come any closer or we'll shoot," Daryl threatened. The men stopped and the one with the gun glared at him.

"This is my cellblock," he said, swaggering as he took a few steps forward. Rosanna aimed her gun right at him and he stopped. The way he looked her over, from head to toe, leering at her breasts, made her cringe. "You're a pretty one," he told her. "Haven't seen a woman in months."

"Don't talk to her," Daryl growled. The man put up his hands.

"Easy there, gringo."

"Look here, fellas, it's your lucky fucking day. You've been pardoned, now you're fee to get the hell outta here," Daryl told him.

"What's going on in there?" the tall black one asked.

"None of your concern," Daryl answered.

"Look, the man says we're free to go," the tall one told the others. "Let's go!"

The black bald man shook his head. "I need to get ahold of my old lady first."

The one with the gun stepped forward. "Why the fuck are a bunch of civilians breaking into a prison anyway? You ain't got no business here. And this is _my_ cellblock."

"No it's not," T-Dog said behind her, striding up to aim his own gun at the prisoners.

"Let's just go!" the skinny white man with long hair and a moustache cut in, looking at T-Dog anxiously.

"I ain't leaving!" the prisoner with the gun insisted.

"Yes you fucking are!" Daryl shouted. Rick jogged into the room, waving his hand at him.

"Hey now, everyone relax. There's no need to argue. Let's talk about this like grownups."

"How many of you are in there?" the guy with the gun asked.

"More than enough to take all of you out," Rick said calmly.

"You got that hurt guy in there, why don't you take him to a hospital?" the bald one asked. Rosanna gaped at him.

"Do you mean you don't know?" she asked warily. Rick, Daryl, and T-Dog exchanged glances.

"Know what?"

"How long have you been locked in that cafeteria?" Rick asked, a little more gently than before.

"About ten months," the one with the gun answered.

"How'd you get locked in there?" Rick crossed his arms.

"There was a fire, then a riot, and everyone was talking about people dying and coming back to life, and people turning into cannibals," the shortest black man said. "It was crazy. One of the guards put us in the cafeteria, told us help was coming, and to stay there until the rescue team arrived. He gave us the gun and locked the door."

"We figured the army or national guard would be here any day now," the biggest man added.

Rick sighed, running a hand through his hair. "There is no army. There is no national guard. There's no government at all. No police, no hospitals, nothing."

"What the fuck do you mean?" the one with the gun asked, his voice hard.

"Everything's gone," Rick answered.

"For real?" The one with the long hair looked skeptical.

"For real. There's nothing out there, nothing at all." Rick looked at each of them. The prisoners looked at each other in shock.

"What about my mom?" the big one looked devastated.

"I got kids out there. My old lady," the bald one said slowly. "Do any of you have a cell phone? I have to call them, make sure they're safe."

"There are no phones," Rosanna told him, feeling horrible at what she must tell him. "No radio, no television, no internet. I'm sorry, but your family is probably dead, and if they're not, they'll be near impossible to find." The bald man drew a deep breath and bent over like he was going to be sick.

"It can't be true!" the smallest one cried.

"Let's go outside," Rosanna said quietly. "You can see for yourself." She motioned towards the door with her gun and the prisoners filed out. Keeping her gun on their backs, she and the others followed them out to the courtyard. The prisoners walked out slowly, shading their eyes from the glare of the sun. They looked over the dead bodies all over the courtyard, their eyes widening.

"They're all dead," the one with the moustache said quietly.

"They were all turned," Rosanna told him. The one with the gun glared at her.

"How're they all dead?"

"We killed them," she said simply.

The biggest prisoner looked at Rick. "Is this a disease?"

"Yes." Rick looked at each prisoner in turn. "And we're all infected. You guys too."

"The hell do you mean?" asked the one with the gun.

"Everyone's infected," Rosanna answered grimly. "If you die . . . no matter how you die, you will wake up as one of them." She pointed at the dead walkers surrounding them. "If you get bit, or scratched, you will get sick . . . a fever . . . and you'll die." Daryl glanced at her, and she gave him a grim smile. "What you need to remember is, the only way these things will die is if you get the brain. Stab it, shoot it, whatever . . . just make sure you hit the brain, or else they'll keep coming. For some reason, they like to move in herds. If you meet up with a herd, the best thing to do is get the hell out of there as quickly as you can."

"Is that how y'all survived?" asked the man with the moustache. She nodded.

"There were more of us, once. Some of our people have died. Torn apart by walkers, or bit."

"What I want to know is, where your group is headed _now_?" The one with the gun strode forward, glaring at Rick. "This is _our_ prison."

" _We_ killed all the walkers. This is our prison now," Rick said calmly.

Guns were drawn and aimed at each other within seconds. Rosanna looked down the sight of her gun, pointed right at the prisoner who had his gun trained on Rick. "Whoa now, Tomas," said the man with the moustache. "Let's talk about this. We can come up with a solution that works for all of us."

"Don't see that happening, Axel," Tomas spat.

"Neither do I," Rick agreed.

"Look, there's other cellblocks," Axel pointed out. "We don't have to go back into the cafeteria."

"Y'all could _leave_ ," Daryl said.

"We're not going out there!" the shortest prisoner cried.

"We don't need to, Andrew," said Tomas with a feral grin. "These people are going to get the hell out of my cellblock."

"That's enough!" Rosanna cut in before anyone could say anything. "This is what's going to happen. You were in the cafeteria, and you've been there for a long time. That means you still have food there, right?" Tomas turned his leering glare on her.

"Yes, there's still food," Axel answered slowly.

"So how about this?" Rosanna continued. "You help us get all the food out of there, and you give us half. In exchange, we'll spot you some weapons and help you clear a cellblock. After that, you keep away from our group. We'll keep to our own cellblock, you stay in yours." She looked at Rick to see if he agreed. He exchanged a wary glance with Daryl, but nodded. "Are we agreed?" she asked Tomas. He glowered, but nodded. "Fine," she said, lowering her gun. "I'm Rosanna. This is Daryl, Rick, and T-Dog. Welcome to Hell."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One:

"How is he?" Rosanna asked Lori as she watched the pregnant woman check Hershel's stump once more. The stench of blood was overpowering in the tiny cell.

"His pulse is still weak, but he's finally stopped bleeding," Lori answered, leaning back in her chair with a sigh. Beth and Maggie stood just inside the door, arms wrapped around each other.

"I want to find the infirmary, see if they've got anything we can use," Rosanna said. "But Rick wants us to get the prisoners sorted out first."

"I don't want Beth or Carl wandering around until they're in their cells," Lori stipulated. Rosanna nodded.

"Goes without saying."

"Do you think it's a good idea, letting them stay?" Beth asked timidly. Rosanna shrugged.

"It's Rick's call. Honestly, a few more hands could be useful. Axel, Oscar, and Big Tiny seem like good people, but Tomas and Andrew . . . well, I think we'd be better off without them. They give me the heebie jeebies. Sending those two away would be a bad idea. I have a feeling they'd lay in wait and attack us the minute they had a chance. Better to keep them here where we can see what they're up to." Tomas and Andrew gave off the same swampy smell Shane had. Axel, Oscar, and Big Tiny smelled bad too, but in a sweaty, haven't-been-washed way.

"They wouldn't know how to protect themselves out there anyway," Maggie said, her eyes on her father. "They've been here in this prison the whole time."

"They still thought there's a government, hospitals, cell phones . . ." Rosanna mused. "I feel sorry for Oscar, he'll never know what happened to his wife and kids. It's horrible."

"We've dealt with worse," Lori said quietly.

"Why doesn't Rick just kill them all?" Beth surprised everyone by saying.

"My husband isn't a cold blooded killer, you know that!" Lori snapped. Beth looked down and mumbled an apology.

"Rosanna, Rick wants you," Glenn said behind her. She turned to see him carrying Rick's handcuffs.

"What's that for?" Maggie asked. Glenn sighed and shuffled his feet.

"They're for your dad," he explained, looking at Maggie apologetically. "In case . . . in case he turns." Beth buried her face in her sister's shirt.

"Where's Rick?" Rosanna asked as she watched Glenn put the cuffs on Hershel.

"In the courtyard. They're going to clear a cellblock for the prisoners." Rosanna sighed and patted Hershel's hand before walking out into the courtyard. T-Dog, Rick, and Daryl stood with the prisoners, holding knives and other hand to hand weapons.

"Why do I need these, when I have this?" Tomas was asking.

"Because we need to conserve ammo," Rosanna told him as she walked up, drawing her swords. The other prisoners backed off and stared at her. "My swords have killed more walkers than my guns. Can you think of why?"

"Because the noise draws them," Axel answered, nodding sagely. The other prisoners glared at him.

"You're right," she approved. "Noise draws them. And in close quarters, you're more likely to shoot your friends than kill walkers. Not unless you're a crack shot, and can shoot them in the forehead each time." Tomas looked her up and down.

"What are you, some kind of superhero?" he asked with a sneer. She rolled her eyes.

"Never mind all that," Rick cut in. "This is how it's going to go down. Rosanna and Daryl will be on point. We'll follow, in formation. No one breaks formation." He looked at each prisoner in turn.

"You're letting a girl go ahead of us?" Tomas asked, still sneering.

"She's deadly with those things. You want her on your side," Daryl told him with a glare. Tomas rolled his eyes.

"We go in formation," Rick insisted. "No one breaks formation. That's how we killed all these." He pointed at the walkers dead on the ground. "Stay with the group, no running. Understood?" The prisoners nodded.

They followed Rosanna and Daryl into the cell block. Oscar held his axe up by his waist. Rosanna turned and pushed his hands up higher. "You want a head shot, so you want to keep this up high, okay?" Oscar nodded, gripping his axe higher. "Remember to get them in the head," she whispered to the others. Daryl raised a hand.

"Hear that?" he said quietly, glancing back at the prisoners as they listened in silence, hearing the faint moans of the walkers. They nodded. "That's the sound they make when they're close. Remember, stay in formation." The moans of the walkers grew closer, and they could see their shadows on the far wall. Moments later, some emerged from the darkness. Rosanna raised her swords. With a yell, the prisoners charged forward.

"No!" she cried. "Stay in formation, god dammit!"

Rosanna, T-Dog, Daryl, and Rick stood back as the prisoners rushed towards the walkers. Big Tiny dropped his weapon and grabbed a walker by the arms as the others beat on its body. Not one of them aimed for the head. Rosanna shrieked a warning and tried to leap forward, but Rick grabbed her arm. "Let them go," he whispered, and she stood back against Daryl, who held onto her other arm. They watched in silence as the prisoners stabbed and beat the walkers, none of them giving a killing blow. Rosanna watched for several minutes before pulling away from the arms that held her and striding forward. She stabbed each walker in the brain, and the prisoners stared at her as they went down.

"What part of you have to hit the brain did you idiots not understand?" she asked as the last walker went down. They stared at her, chests heaving, and she shook her head, flinged gore and blood off her swords, and went back into formation. They grouped back together and continued down the hall. One walker came around the corner, and Oscar stepped forward to stab it in the brain.

"Like that?" he asked.

"Yes, exactly like that," she murmured back as a group of them came close. The prisoners attacked, all going for the brain. "Good!" she yelled. "Just like that! Keep going!" A yell sounded behind her and she turned to see a walker go down behind Big Tiny, who had slipped out of formation into a hallway to the side. "What happened?" she asked, as Rick killed the walkers beside the prisoner.

"I think it got me!" Big Tiny answered, pulling at the skin on his back. He turned, and there was a huge scratch across his spine.

"You've been scratched," Rick said solemnly.

"What d'you mean? I'm fine!" Big Tiny insisted. Rosanna inspected the scratch.

"You've been scratched," she told him. "You've been infected."

"I don't feel anything!" he argued. Before he could say more, Tomas hit him in the back of the head, over and over again as he went down. Big Tiny's body slumped to the floor. Rosanna gaped at him, then looked at Tomas. He shrugged, covered in blood, his swampy stench almost stinging her eyes.

"Let's go," Rick said quietly. They moved on, going down the hallway, the prisoners more careful than before. They finally opened the doors to the laundry, T-Dog going first, all of them moving cautiously inside the room. Rick threw his keys at Tomas.

"I ain't opening that," Tomas said.

"Yes, you are, one door only," Rick insisted. "You want a safe cell block, don't you?" Tomas glared at him and slowly approached the doors. "Not both of them," Rick reminded him. "It needs to be controlled." Tomas glanced at Andrew. Rosanna narrowed her eyes as something passed between the two men. She looked at Rick, who had noticed the same thing. He gave her a look that said _watch out for those two_.

Tomas kept messing with the door, which looked like it was stuck. Rosanna gripped her swords as he finally tugged both doors open. "I said one door!" Rick yelled. Tomas shrugged and leapt backwards as the walkers filed in. They all began attacking, with the prisoners aiming for the brain like they had been taught. Rosanna saw Tomas glance at Rick, and she pulled Rick back just as Tomas' weapon swung through the air right where his head had been. There was no time to confront him, however, as the rest of the walkers were upon them. Suddenly Tomas grabbed a walker and shoved him onto Rick. Rosanna leapt forward, pulling the walker off and beheading it. She turned back to the others, but there were no more walkers.

"What the hell was that?" Rick asked Tomas angrily. Tomas shrugged.

"It was coming after me," he said.

"Bullshit," Rosanna snarled. "You tossed that walker right on him. I saw you!" Tomas glared at her in that leering way he had. She gripped her swords. "I should gut you right fucking now, you bastard!" He laughed at her.

"I'd like to see you try, you stupid bitch." Rosanna's eyes slid to Rick and he gave her a small nod. In the corner of her eye, she saw Andrew look from Rick, to her, to Tomas, tensing his body to leap forward. "Try anything, and I'll kill you while you sleep," Tomas continued as his eyes swept from her face to her breasts. "After I have a little fun with you, of course." Everything happened at once.

"You stay away from her, fucker," Daryl shouted as he and T-Dog stepped closer to Rosanna, their weapons trained on Tomas. But Rosanna was quicker. She beheaded Tomas with one swipe of her sword, just as Andrew leapt towards her with his bat raised, crying out in denial as Tomas' body thumped to the floor. Oscar and Axel shouted a warning, and Rick barreled into Andrew, knocking him down. Andrew slithered out from under Rick like a snake and ran out into the hallway with Rick in pursuit. Daryl raised his crossbow at Oscar, while T-Dog raised his gun to Axel. "Get on your knees!" Daryl ordered. Rosanna shook her head.

"Daryl, T-Dog, they weren't part of this," she said as she stood in front of Axel and Oscar, palms out in supplication.

"Who says?" Daryl spat.

"I do," she answered. "Put your damn crossbow down and leave them alone!"

"She's right!" Axel said shakily, his eyes on Tomas' corpse. "She's right! We didn't have nothing to do with this!" Daryl kept his crossbow trained on Oscar, who shook his head silently.

Rosanna turned to T-Dog. "T, this isn't right!" she said, putting her hands on her hips. T-Dog shook his head.

"It'll be up to Rick," was all he would say to her. She groaned and strode over to Tomas' reanimated head, stabbing it forcefully. They stood in silence for several long minutes, until Rick came back in. He walked right up to Oscar and put his gun to his head.

"Rick, _stop_!" Rosanna snapped. Rick glared at her.

"How can we be sure they didn't know?" he asked.

"We didn't!" Oscar said, breathing heavily. "Tomas and Andrew, they've always been friends. Back when the prison was running, they were always together. Me and Axel and Big Tiny are only with them because the guard put us in the cafeteria with them. We wouldn't have anything to do with them otherwise."

"Please!" Axel cried as Rick turned his gun on him. "We ain't like those two! You saw what Tomas did to Tiny! Tiny was my friend, and he killed him, just like that! I like my pharmaceuticals, but I ain't no killer!"

"Rick," Rosanna said quietly, "they aren't the bad guys." She slid in front of Axel. "These men don't deserve to die just because Tomas and Andrew are murderous assholes." Rick's hard gaze met her eyes. "Please Rick." He chewed on his lip as he considered her request. Growling under his breath, he swung back to Oscar.

"What about you?" Rick snarled. Oscar looked at him, his expression oddly calm.

"I ain't never pleaded for my life, and I ain't about to start now," he said quietly as Rick's gun touched the middle of his forehead.

"Rick! Enough!" Rosanna snapped. Rick hesitated, then lowered his gun.

"Fine," he said over his shoulder to her. "But if anything goes wrong, it's on you, Rose."

Oscar and Axel got to their feet shakily. Axel kept his eyes on Rick, but shuffled over to Rosanna. "Thank you, thank you miss!" he said warmly as he shook her hand. Oscar said nothing, but his gaze showed her his thanks.

"Just don't make me regret it," Rosanna told them. Rick strode out the door, followed by T-Dog. Rosanna turned to go, along with the prisoners, who seemed to want to stay close to her. Daryl brought up the rear, and Rosanna could practically feel the rage radiating off of him. They walked the prisoners back to the newly cleared cellblock. Axel stood at the doorway, looking at the row of dead prisoners inside.

"I knew these guys," he said quietly. "They were good men."

"Let's go," Rick ordered, motioning towards Rosanna, Daryl, and T-Dog.

"You're just going to leave us in here?" Oscar asked. "This is sick."

"Look," Rick said, running a hand through his hair. "This cellblock is now yours. Take it or leave it. We helped you clear it, that was the deal. Since there's less of you now, we're taking half of the share we first promised. We'll deliver it after you've cleaned up a bit in here." He looked at the row of bodies.

"We had to do the same thing," Rosanna said gently. "You'll have to get the bodies out of here. Pile them in the courtyard, then burn them. I'll bring over some cleaning supplies for you to wash up the blood."

"You'll do no such thing," Daryl snapped at her. She ignored him.

"Like I said, I'll bring you cleaning supplies, and I'll make sure your food is delivered before nightfall. You must be hungry, and thirsty. I'll have water brought as well. Boil what you need to drink, and use the rest to clean up this mess," Rosanna told them. They looked at her gratefully, then turned their wary eyes back to Rick.

"Remember, stay away from my people," Rick said as he left with T-Dog. Daryl grabbed Rosanna's elbow and tried to force her out the door.

"I can walk!" she snapped, pushing him away as they followed Rick. She strode ahead of him, pushing past Rick and T-Dog, but as soon as they entered their cellblock, Daryl grabbed her arm again.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snarled. She backed away from him.

"What do you mean?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Standing up for those guys! Rick should have killed them all!"

"Is that the answer now? Just kill everyone we meet, just in case they're a threat?" Rosanna glared at him. "Axel and Oscar can help us." Daryl snorted.

"That's not the tune you were singing with Randall," he snapped.

"Randall was different," she answered angrily. "He posed a real threat. It isn't Axel and Oscar's fault that they were stuck with those other two bastards."

"You can't be sure that they're good people," Daryl insisted. "It's a risk for our group! What if they hurt Maggie, or Beth, or Carl? That's on you, now, if they do!" Rosanna snarled and spun around, pushing Daryl against the wall.

"You have no right to talk to me like that!" she said sharply. "None. You aren't my boyfriend, to tell me what to do! And let me tell you this, I will _always_ speak up for what I think is right! And it wasn't right to kill those two!"

"Let me go," he said in a deadly quiet voice, "Or I'll tell Rick about you." She stood back, shocked. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at him.

"Is that how it is?" she asked, her voice breaking. "I do what you say, or you'll tell on me?" His eyes widened and he reached out for her.

"No, Rosanna . . . I shouldn't have said that." She turned away.

"But you did," she said quietly over her shoulder.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two:

Rosanna sat in one of the guard towers, taking her turn on watch. She saw Axel and Oscar in the courtyard, dragging out the bodies they hadn't been able to clear out the day before. Axel saw her and waved. She waved back, and Oscar held up a hand, giving her a small smile. Leaning back against the wall, she contemplated their situation. Hershel had woken up not long after her and Daryl's argument, and the happiness of the group soothed her hurt feelings. She smiled as she thought of the old man's tenacity. She had followed through with her promise to bring Axel and Oscar their food and water, ignoring Daryl's protests to bring them the supplies herself, and spending a little time hearing the prisoner's stories as well as telling them about the group's life searching for a place to live. Axel and Oscar were horrified when she told them about leaving the farm, the people they had lost, and how desperate they were to find a safe place for Lori to have her baby. She felt good about her decision to stand up for their right to live.

She glanced down the stairs as she heard someone approaching. Maggie came into view as she came up, holding a mug of tea and a bowl of oatmeal with raisins and a small sprinkling of brown sugar. "Yum," Rosanna sighed.

"Thought you might be hungry," Maggie smiled at her. Rosanna smiled back, taking the bowl and shoving a spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth.

"I was," she said between bites. Maggie sat beside her, her eyebrow raised.

"Don't be a pig," she laughed. Rosanna giggled and nudged her friend.

"Don't be mean," Rosanna told her, still shoveling the oatmeal into her mouth.

"So," Maggie began as Rosanna finished the oatmeal and took a sip of tea. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"Why you've been upset. You've been quiet ever since y'all helped the prisoners clear the cellblock." Rosanna set the tea down and studied her nails.

"It's nothing, really. Daryl was just being an asshole."

"Want to tell me what happened?" Maggie asked, her face screwed up into a grimace. "We all know Dixon can be an ass, but you usually let that slide right off of you." Rosanna frowned.

"He . . . he disagreed with me that we shouldn't kill Axel and Oscar. It turned into an argument, and he said some things that . . . weren't nice." She looked out at the forest. "I told him he's not my boyfriend, he can't tell me what to do."

"Rick told us what happened to the other prisoners," Maggie said, drawing her knees to her chest. "How do you know Axel and Oscar aren't bad too?" Rosanna was silent for a moment.

"Just a feeling. I'm pretty good at reading people. It wasn't just how I feel, though. Killing them when they hadn't done anything to deserve it . . . it just reminded me a lot of what Dale used to say. He wouldn't have wanted Axel and Oscar to die. He would have voted against it. I've changed the way I think as well. Remember all the group meetings we had about Randall? I okayed killing him in my head by convincing myself he would be a weak link because of his leg, that it would be more humane to kill him. But now, with Hershel losing his leg . . . I couldn't imagine thinking the same things about him."

"But the others . . ." Maggie began. Rosanna shook her head.

"Tomas and Andrew attacked Rick," she said. "It was like they had planned it from the beginning. They kept looking at each other, like they were just waiting for the right time. Axel and Oscar didn't know what was going on. They were just as shocked as we were. And the way Tomas killed Big Tiny, just out of nowhere, someone he had been with since the beginning of all this . . . I think we all knew Tomas was bad news."

"Rick said he locked Andrew out in the small courtyard with all the walkers," Maggie said. "Do you think he's still alive? What if he comes for us?"

"I don't think he's alive. He didn't have a weapon, and there was no place to run in that courtyard." Rosanna took another sip of tea. "I know you probably think I'm crazy, but I just have a good feeling about Axel and Oscar. They need us, and I think we're going to need them."

"What do you mean?"

"We still need to clear the rest of the prison. We need to burn all the bodies, clean up what we can. Bleach all the areas where walker blood is. Search for any more supplies. Close up the breach in the back. Eventually, we're going to plant crops, and that will take a lot of work. Getting the ground prepared, planting, weeding, watering, harvesting. Not to mention all the day-to-day things we need to get done. Laundry, preparing food, taking watch. Lori's going to go into labor soon, and she'll be taking care of the baby after. Hershel can't do much with one leg. We _need_ the extra hands. And Axel and Oscar seem willing to help with all of it."

"You're right," Maggie said quietly. "We're spread out pretty thin as it is." Both women stared out at the forest for several minutes. "Rose, what are we going to do when Lori goes into labor?"

"It's not something we can stop," Rosanna answered.

"My dad's in no shape to give her a caesarean," Maggie continued. "Carol's going to have to do it, but she's no doctor. What if . . ." Rosanna held up a hand, cutting her off.

"I can't think about that right now," she said quickly. "I can't imagine losing Lori."

"We can't imagine losing any of our people, but we have. The group lost a lot of people in Atlanta, Glenn told me. We lost Annette and Shawn. Then Otis, Sophia and Dale. Shane, Patricia, and Jimmy." Maggie pointed out. "I'm worried, Rose. We don't have the right supplies for that kind of operation."

"Carol told me Carl brought medical supplies from the infirmary," Rosanna said.

"Bandages and stuff like that. No IV's, or scalpels, or any of that stuff," Maggie reminded her.

"Why don't we go check for ourselves?" Rosanna asked. "Carl can show us the way. He may have just found the stuff he thought we'd need for your dad. This was a big prison, with death row inmates, there's got to be supplies for minor surgery at least, right? Did Georgia allow prisoners to go to hospitals for treatment? I'm not sure, but it seems to me they'd take care of things here unless it was really major." Maggie brightened a bit.

"You're right, should we go now?"

"Sure! It's almost time for T-Dog to take my place anyway," Rosanna said, standing up. She saw movement in the forest out of the corner of her eye, and she turned quickly to look. After several moments, seeing nothing, she smiled at Maggie. "Let's go."

Rick approved their plan, and it wasn't long before Carl, Maggie, and Rosanna were on their way to the infirmary. "It's over here," Carl said, his face alight with excitement at being included in something so important. They made their way slowly down the corridor, weapons out, listening for walkers. Rosanna sniffed, but couldn't smell anything but the dead bodies that already littered the hall.

"Make sure they're dead before you pass them, remember what happened to Dad," Maggie warned. Carl shook his head.

"Already did that last time I came through," he told the women. "Here's the walkers I killed." He pointed to two bodies on the ground before opening a set of doors. "Infirmary's in here."

"There's still a lot of stuff here," Rosanna commented as she looked around the room. There were towels, bandages, medicines, IV's, and surgical equipment still in their sterile packages. Maggie followed Rosanna's gaze around the room.

"I think we should take it all," she said, tucking her gun into the waistband of her jeans. "We'll definitely need these IV's and the catheters for the surgery, but what can be used to knock Lori out?"

"Maybe some of these pills can put Mom to sleep?" Carl wondered, pulling medicines off a shelf and putting them in his pack.

"Maybe," Maggie told the boy. "Dad will know."

"We can use this to carry stuff," Rosanna said, pointing at a laundry cart. They began pulling all the medical supplies off the shelves and put them carefully in the cart. It took them a while, but soon the infirmary was stripped off anything useful.

"That was easy," Maggie said as they pushed the cart into their cell block.

"That's because I cleared the way before you guys came along," Carl crowed. Rosanna ruffled his hair.

"You did a good job, kiddo," she told him. Carl beamed at her.

"What's all this?" Carol asked as she came into the common room, squinting at their cart.

"All the medical supplies from the infirmary," Rosanna said. Carol came over and inspected the contents of their cart.

"This is wonderful!" she cried. "Lori has a real chance, now!" Shouting from the courtyard made all their heads turn.

"Stay here, protect the cell block," Rosanna said quickly. She waited until the others were safely behind the locked doors before she drew her swords and hurried out into the courtyard. Axel, Oscar, Rick, and Daryl stood before a pile of walker bodies, arguing vociferously. "What's going on?" Rosanna asked, looking around for any sign of danger.

"Y'all told us to get the bodies out of our cell block and burn them, but we can't do that if we're not allowed in the courtyard!" Oscar told her. She glanced at Rick.

"That's true," she said. "What's the problem?"

"That one was talking to Beth," Daryl said, fingering his crossbow as he jutted his chin at Axel. Axel raised his hands in supplication.

"I was just sayin' hi!" he defended himself. "Just because y'all said to stay away from everyone doesn't mean we can't be polite to each other!"

"I don't want you talking to, or even looking at my people!" Rick told him.

"Rick, do you realize how ridiculous you sound?" Rosanna asked. He turned his angry gaze upon her.

"Rosanna, just because I gave in and let them stay . . ."

"Rick, you're the leader, and I respect you and your decisions, but can't you see you're being a huge ass right now?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "We all live here now," she continued. "Right now, it's us against the world. Axel and Oscar are doing what they have to do, just like we've done what we've had to do. They can help with a lot of stuff around here. I've already talked about this with Maggie, and she agrees with me. This animosity needs to end."

"We're willing to help with whatever needs to be done," Oscar agreed, looking at Axel, who nodded.

"We don't know you," Daryl said, glaring at the men.

"That's the point I'm trying to make here," Rosanna said bluntly. "None of us knew each other before all this. But here we are. Trusting each other. Helping each other. Considering each other family. There's not very many people alive worth knowing in this world. We can't keep ourselves set apart from every single person we meet. Eventually we'll come to find other people who are willing, able, and trustworthy enough to join us. You say you want a safe place for us to live. So let's make this goal about community, about making a place where good people can come together to help each other survive."

"You're one smart lady, Miss Rosanna," Axel commented. Rosanna gave him a brief smile.

"I get what you're saying, Rose," Rick said, tugging at his hair in frustration. "And you're right. But that doesn't mean we have to accept everybody. And these two have to prove trustworthy before I can allow them to be around our people."

"That's all we ask, is for a chance," Oscar said.

"Yeah, let us prove ourselves," Axel agreed. "We're no strangers to hard work, and we mean no harm to your people."

"All we're trying to do right now is get our cell block cleaned up," Oscar added. "One night with those bodies in there was enough for me." Axel nodded his agreement, rubbing his arms up and down nervously.

"Daryl and I will help," Rick surprised everyone by saying. Daryl glared at him and snorted.

"Fine, let's get to work," he said, stomping off towards Axel and Oscar's cell block. Rick looked at Rosanna and sighed before he followed, Axel and Oscar coming into step behind him. Rosanna shook her head and went back into the group's common room.

"Everything okay out there?" Glenn asked, standing by the cell block door. Rosanna nodded.

"Just a misunderstanding," she explained. "Everyone can come out now." Beth and Lori peeked their heads out from behind the door.

"What happened?" Lori asked.

"Just Rick and Daryl arguing with Axel and Oscar," Rosanna replied.

"Axel said hi to me," Beth said worriedly. Lori stared at her.

"Was he inappropriate?" Lori asked. "Because if he was, Rick needs to make them leave."

"He wasn't inappropriate, he was really nice," Beth assured Lori. "He just said hi and smiled. It wasn't a creepy smile, either, he wasn't lookin' anywhere he shouldn't. He doesn't seem like a prisoner, I wonder what he did to get in here."

"He said something about pharmaceuticals," Rosanna told her. "I don't think he or Oscar are bad guys, they just made some mistakes. Rick and Daryl are helping them clear the bodies out of their cell block."

"I thought Daryl didn't want anything to do with them," said Lori, chewing on her lip.

"He didn't. Rick volunteered their help," Rosanna said.

"You think Rick was right to let them stay?" Beth asked.

"I do," Rosanna answered. "He's right to be cautious, but as long as they follow the rules and prove themselves trustworthy, I think we'll come to like them in time. They seem nice enough. It'll take a while before they're ready to go on runs and things like that, but there's no reason we can't delegate chores around here for them to do."

"Do you think they'll able to survive on their own, if Rick does decide to keep them out?" Carol asked as she pulled out a pan, ready to start lunch.

Rosanna thought for a minute. "Maybe. Well, if he did it now? Probably not. Axel seems like he had a real hard time killing walkers when we were clearing their cell block. And when Tomas killed Big Tiny, he looked horrified. I think he's got a nice streak that could get him killed if he was dealing with a bad group. Oscar has more potential for being an asset. He's strong, and he killed walkers like a pro once he got over trying to follow Tomas' lead. Once he did what we said, stayed in formation and went for head shots, he did great. And he's got honor, he wouldn't beg Rick for his life. He was calm the whole time, didn't freak out when Rick killed Tomas. Actually, he looked pretty relieved." She shrugged. "I think, after time and experience, Oscar will be okay, but Axel will need a bit of looking after. He's got to get over his fears and realize this is a whole new world."

"That's a pretty good assessment," Lori pointed out. "You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?" Rosanna nodded.

"I have, since I was the one who persuaded Rick not to kill them."

"T-Dog doesn't think we should have killed them either," Carol put in. "He thinks the more people we have to defend our home, the better."

"I admit, that was one of the main reasons I chose to be their advocate," Rosanna admitted. "I've come to share Rick's vision for this place. It stands to reason that at some point, we'll have to defend it from people who will want to take it for themselves, especially if we've got crops and running water and things like that. This is an easily defensible place. If another herd comes across us, the only thing I'm worried about is they'll knock the fences over."

"Why don't we pick up cars when we're on runs?" Beth said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "We can park them against the main fence, that will keep them from falling over."

"That'll take a lot of cars," Carol said as she opened a can of peaches.

"But it's still a good idea," Rosanna told Beth as she patted her shoulder. "Maybe we can come up with something that'll work. Space the cars out, or something." Beth smiled. Rosanna looked at Lori. "How's Hershel today?"

"He's doing much better. No fever, his pulse is normal-ish. A little fast, but that's to be expected. But at least it's strong. He's not complaining, but I know he's in pain. Those painkillers you, Maggie, and Carl found will help a lot."

"Carl was really happy to help Maggie and I," Rosanna told her. Lori frowned.

"I'm just upset he went all by himself to get the bandages for Hershel," the mother said grimly. "Without telling anyone!"

"Um," said Beth, "Actually, he told _me_."

"And you didn't say anything?" Lori was aghast. Beth shrugged.

"I don't wanna be rude or anything, but you underestimate Carl," Beth said calmly. "He's careful, and he's smart. If I thought he was going to get into trouble, I would've told you he went. But I knew he'd come back okay." Lori looked like she was going to argue, but she met Rosanna's gaze and Rosanna shook her head.

"Hershel needed those bandages, and Carl did what he thought was right," Rosanna said firmly, looking at Lori. Lori bowed her head and nodded.

"I _am_ proud of him," the woman said, her voice shaking a little. "But so much can happen . . ." She trailed off, rubbing her belly.

"Everything okay?" Rosanna asked immediately. Carol and Beth came closer, looking worried.

"Everything's fine," Lori assured them. "I've just been getting Braxton-Hicks contractions. Same thing happened with Carl." She looked at Beth's confused expression. "Braxton-Hicks contractions are just my body preparing for real labor," she explained. "It doesn't mean I'm going into labor anytime soon."

Beth gently put her hand on Lori's belly. "I feel it!" she crowed. "The baby's moving!"

"It feels like he's kicking your hand," Lori smiled. Rosanna watched as Lori's belly moved around.

"Can I feel?" she asked timidly. Lori nodded, and Rosanna put her hands on Lori's abdomen. "Wow!" she said as the baby kicked her. "That must feel weird!"

"It's definitely not comfortable, especially when she stretches," Lori said.

"You think it's a girl?" Carl asked. Lori shrugged.

"I always wanted a boy and a girl, so that's what I'm hoping for," she said finally.

"I heard you can use your wedding ring to see if its a boy or girl," Beth said excitedly. "We should try it!"

"I don't know . . ." Lori trailed off.

"Come on! Please!" Beth argued. "It'll only take a minute. Come on, give me your wedding ring!"

Lori laughed and pulled her ring off, followed by the necklace she always wore. Beth put the ring on the chain and dangled it over Lori's swollen belly once she sat down. "Okay, if the ring sways side to side, it's a boy, if it swings around and around it's a girl!" Everyone stared at the ring as it slowly began to swing in a circle. "It's a girl!" Beth cried out with a grin.

"How'd you know to do that?" Carol asked indulgently as she smiled at Beth.

"The internet," Beth said, and they all began to laugh.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three:

"We need to move the vehicles further into the courtyard so they can't be seen from the road," Rosanna told Rick as she tucked a sweaty strand of hair behind her ear. Rick smiled at her.

"That's just what I was thinking, Rose," he said, wiping his forehead. "I don't want anyone passing by to know we're here."

"Once we plant crops and stuff, they'll know we live here," T-Dog pointed out.

"Yes, but hopefully we'll be more established by then, have more weapons and ammo," Rick said.

"It really doesn't seem likely anyone will come out this far," said Carol.

"Anyone can be hunting in those woods and find this place easy," Daryl told her. Carol swatted at him playfully and he gave her a half smile in return. Keeping her hand on his arm, Carol smiled back and glanced at Rosanna, who turned away.

"I still think Beth was right, we need to reinforce these fences," Rosanna said to Rick, trying her best to ignore Carol.

"We _do_ need to reinforce the fences, but getting enough cars to do that will be a challenge," Rick observed.

"It's still a good idea," T-Dog said, crossing his arms as he surveyed the fences. "Those fences might be tall, but a herd could knock them down if we aren't careful."

"Someone could also drive through the gates," Rosanna mused, chewing on her thumbnail. "There's got to be a way to prevent that while still allowing us to go in and out."

"We have time enough to figure all that out," Rick told them. "Right now, let's get our vehicles moved. Then I want to focus on picking up all the walker bodies and burning them. The sooner we clear out this place, the better."

"I'm tired of smelling rot, that's for sure," T-Dog said with a grimace.

"Where are Glenn and Maggie?" Carol asked. "They should be helping."

"They're up in the guard tower," said Daryl. Carol giggled.

"I bet I know what they're doin' up there," she smirked, nudging Daryl. He grinned at her and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Hey Glenn! Maggie!" he shouted. Glenn's head shot up, looking at them from the window of the guard tower, followed by Maggie. They seemed to be fumbling with something. Glenn finally came out the door half dressed, looking abashed.

"What's up guys?" he asked, still trying to zip up his pants. Rosanna giggled, and the others started laughing.

"What are you doing up there?" Rosanna yelled up at him. She could see the blush rise on his cheeks.

"Ah, um, just . . . helping Maggie with something," Glenn answered sheepishly.

"Helping her with what?" Rosanna couldn't help but ask.

"Um . . . well . . ." Rosanna and the others burst into laughter.

"Get your asses down here, we need help," Daryl said after a few moments.

"We'll be right down," Glenn called back.

"Hey Rick," T-Dog said, his face suddenly sober. They all turned to see where he was looking. Oscar and Axel were making their way out of the courtyard towards them. Rick's expression turned from amused to angry as he strode towards the two men.

"Don't be an ass to them, Rick," Rosanna told him under her breath. Daryl heard her and snorted. He pulled Carol away and began whispering in her ear.

"We had an agreement," Rick told Oscar. "You stay in your area, we stay in ours, everyone's happy."

"Look, we just came out to tell you that the fence is down on the far side of the prison," Oscar said, crossing his arms. "All those bodies you helped us drag out there seem to be drawing those things in. Every time we go out to burn them, a whole group attacks us."

"Not our problem," Rick said. Rosanna rolled her eyes.

"Actually, it _is_ our problem, Rick. We need to figure out how to close off that breach, or we'll find ourselves overrun." Rick glared at her. Carol leaned close to Daryl.

"Why is she always sticking up for them?" she whispered, staring at Rosanna with her eyebrow raised.

"I know you want us to stay away from y'all," Axel said. "But you don't understand. Those bodies we got rid of were our friends. Sleeping in that cell block is like sleeping with a bunch of ghosts. We don't want to live there anymore. Isn't there any way we can prove we want to be part of your group? Oscar's my friend, but I don't want to be stuck only talking to him for the rest of my days." He glanced at Oscar. "No offense." Oscar shrugged.

"Our deal isn't negotiable," Rick said firmly. "You either agree to the deal, or you leave."

"This was a waste of time, just like I told you," Oscar told Axel. He turned to Rick. "You're not understanding where we're coming from. We just drug out bodies of people we knew. People who were _good_. Who had our backs against the bad prisoners, people like Andrew and Tomas. I know you've buried friends of your own. Rosanna told us about the farm y'all were chased out of by those things. Those . . . those _walkers_. You got to bury most of your dead, while we're here just dragging them outside and piling them up. Our friends deserve better, even though they were changed when they died. Tomas and Andrew deserved what happened to them. We don't deserve the way you're treating us."

"You're right, you don't deserve this," Rosanna said, shaking her head at Rick. T-Dog surprised her by stepping forward and nodding.

"None of us _deserve_ what's happened," Rick said quietly. "What we do deserve is a safe place. And if you're not going to follow the rules, then you have to leave. I'm sorry, but I don't know you, and I'm not taking any chances with my family's safety." Rosanna opened her mouth to speak, but Rick cut her off. "We'll talk about this later," he said slowly. "Right now, we need to get back to work." He looked at the prisoners. "You two get the hell out of here."

"God damn it, Rick, why do you have to act like that?" Rosanna asked once the prisoners left and the others had gathered around.

"Rose, you're family. I love you like a sister. But don't ever question me in front of them again. If you have a problem, come to me alone," Rick shocked her by saying. Rosanna felt her cheeks turn red. Carol smirked at her, but Daryl, Maggie, and Glenn looked at her with expressionless faces. T-Dog came to stand at her side.

"I agree with Rosanna," he said soberly. "We need to bring them into the fold."

"What if they're just waiting to get our weapons?" Rick asked him. "Do you want them sleeping next to you? Do you really think they're just going to fit in?"

"It's just been us for so long," Maggie said, looking apologetically at T-Dog and Rosanna. "They're strangers. I . . . I'd feel weird with them near us."

"We fought hard for this place, what if they decide to just take it from us?" Carol asked, squinting her eyes at Rosanna.

"Two men, against all of us?" T-Dog countered. "Not likely."

"I know guys like them," Daryl said slowly. "Hell, I grew up with guys like that. They're degenerates, but they're not psychos. I coulda' ended up in here just as easy as I'm here with y'all."

"So you agree, they should stay?" T-Dog asked. Daryl snorted and shook his head.

"Fuck no. They need to leave, that's the only way we know our group stays safe."

"We just can't know for sure if they're good people," Rick said after a long silence. "Our deal with them stands. They stay apart, or they go." He stared hard at Rosanna. "I want everyone staying away from them. That includes you, Rose. They've got to know I mean business, and I won't have you put in danger. They could take you off your guard and use you as leverage. I _do not_ want you making friends with them. Is that clear?" Rosanna took in a deep breath and swallowed hard before nodding at him.

"I don't agree, but I understand," she said unhappily. "I'll keep my distance."

"Thank you," Rick said. "You know I'm just looking out for you, for all of us."

"I know, Rick."

"Now that that's settled, let's get back to work," Rick said. It took a few hours, but they finally had all the walker bodies piled up in a corner of the field, ready to burn. Daryl, Glenn, and Rick made their way out of the main fence, intending to get firewood. Rosanna and Maggie walked back to the courtyard, while Carol busied herself with moving the final car into place. T-Dog went into the cell block for a drink of water.

"God that was exhausting," Maggie said as she sat on one of the benches outside the cell block. Rosanna nodded.

"I probably smell like a pig," she said as she wrinkled her nose.

"Me too," Maggie agreed.

"Pig smell or not, it doesn't seem to keep Glenn from . . ." Rosanna giggled as Maggie smacked her arm, cutting her off. A noise from the cell block doorway made both women turn and look.

"Hershel!" Rosanna cried gleefully as she watched him emerge from behind the door, crutches under his arms, as Beth and Lori helped him down the stairs. Carl followed just behind them.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Maggie asked, looking at her father in surprise.

"I couldn't stand being in there another minute," Hershel said with a smile at his daughter. "I needed some fresh air." He looked around the courtyard. "You cleared all the bodies! It's starting to look like a place we can really live in."

"All right, Hershel?" they heard Glenn call from the fence. Hershel looked in his direction and grinned.

"Be careful," Lori warned. "We don't need you to fall." Hershel stopped and breathed in deeply.

"It certainly smells better out here," he commented. Rosanna laughed and nudged Maggie.

"You sure? Your daughter says she smells like a pig," she said, holding her nose and leaning away from her friend.

"You both look like you could use a bath," Lori said, eyeing them both. Rosanna nodded, still holding her nose. She made a face at Maggie and let go of her nose, took a breath, and froze with shock. The awful smell of rot filled her nostrils and she drew her swords instinctively.

"What is it?" Maggie asked her, touching her arm. Rosanna turned around and gasped.

"Get back in the cell block!" she shouted as she saw the large group of walkers coming towards them. She heard Rick, Daryl, and Glenn shouting at them, running as fast as they could towards the courtyard. "Get inside!" Rosanna cried out, running toward the walkers and beginning to swing her swords. She did her best, but many walkers passed her as she fought, and she ran back to Hershel, who was staggering towards the cell block entrance, followed by Beth and Carl. Carl pulled out his gun and started shooting, as did Lori and Maggie.

Hershel made it to the fenced off area around the cell block door, but a few walkers were right behind him. Beth screamed and Rosanna ran up to them, her braid flying behind her as she spun her swords around, beheading the walkers and stabbing their brains just before they grabbed Hershel. She helped him up the last few steps and slammed the gate shut. "Stay here!" she ordered Beth, who nodded as she hugged her father.

"That gate is open!" T-Dog shouted as Rosanna killed four more walkers.

"T-Dog, no!" she yelled at him as he ran past her towards the gate, right into the group of walkers. Rosanna ran after him, swinging her swords to the right and left as walkers dropped in her wake. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Maggie, Lori, and Carl run into a gated area on her left, slamming the gate shut behind them. Carol was making her way to a door on her right. Rosanna kept her gaze on T-Dog, who was almost at the open gate. "Look out, T!" she screamed as a walker came up behind him. He closed the gate and locked it just as the walker came up and bit him on the shoulder. Screaming in pain, T-Dog flipped around and shot the walker point blank before Carol called him over to her. They both disappeared into the prison.

Rosanna screamed in frustration and took out her fear and anger on the walkers around her. Her swords swung through the air as she spun like a windmill, taking out several in a matter of seconds. Dimly, she could hear Beth and Hershel calling for her to join them, but Rosanna was too pumped up on adrenaline to listen. Behind her, she heard the twang of Daryl's crossbow and Glenn and Rick's shouts as they joined the fray. It seemed like time was moving in slow motion. She swung, spun around, and swung again, joining Rick and Daryl in formation as they took out the rest of the walkers.

"What the hell happened?" Rick spat as the last walker fell.

"The gate was open!" Beth answered, her voice shaking.

"Where's Lori and Carl?" Rick asked.

"Maggie led them over there, into the prison!" Hershel answered as he clutched Beth tightly to him.

"And everyone else?"

"I couldn't tell," Beth said.

"Carol and T went that way," Rosanna said, wiping walker blood off her face on the hem of her shirt then pointing at the door the two had disappeared behind. "T was bit when he closed the gate. In the shoulder."

"Fuck!" Rick shouted, bending over and taking a deep breath in his frustration. He pounded his knees with his fists.

Oscar and Axel jogged up just as Glenn came back from inspecting the gate the walkers had come in through. "Someone cut the chain," he said breathlessly. "It wasn't broken, it was cut!" Rick glared at the prisoners as they approached.

"What happened here?" Oscar asked, his eyes wide as he took in all the fresh bodies.

"Did you do this?" Rick snarled as he pointed his gun at the stunned man.

"Of course not!" Axel answered, holding up his hands. "Why would we let those things in here?"

Rick was about to retort but was cut off by the ringing of the prison's alarm system. "What the hell?" Rosanna asked as she held her hands to her ears to drown out the horrible sound.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Daryl shouted. "That's going to bring any walker for miles around!"

"This wasn't us!" Oscar insisted, his eyes filled with terror.

Rick and Glenn began shooting at the alarms, trying to make the noise stop. "That's not going to work, we have to turn it off inside!" Rosanna told them. She looked at Oscar. "Where's the control room?"

"It . . . it's in the main building," Oscar stammered.

"Do you know how to get there?" Rick asked. Oscar nodded. Rick grabbed the front of his jumper. "Come on, you're taking us there!"

Rosanna, Rick, and Daryl followed Oscar into the nearest building. He led them through corridor after corridor, with Rosanna and Daryl in front, killing any walkers they came across. Once they came into another hallway, a group of walkers spotted them and gave chase. The hall was too narrow for Rosanna to use her swords, so they ran quickly, trying to get away. They finally came upon a door that had a caution sign, and Oscar went right in, with all of them following him. Rick and Rosanna checked the room for walkers and Daryl held the door closed against the walkers while Oscar ran up to the control panels and pushed a few switches. To their relief, the alarm turned off.

Rosanna heard a noise behind her and flipped around to see Andrew coming at her with an axe. Rick shoved Rosanna aside and she twisted her body to keep herself from falling, but she knocked her head against one of the machines, making her see stars. Andrew swung his axe at Rick but missed, and Rick grabbed the axe as Andrew shoved him against one of the generators, his eyes crazed as he tried to pull the axe away. Rick kneed him in the groin and spun, pushing Andrew against some storage lockers. Rosanna tried to pull herself up to help as she felt the pain in her head subside as her body healed itself, but by the time she was standing, Andrew had hit Rick upside the head with his axe, making Rick drop his gun. Oscar grabbed the gun and aimed it at the two men struggling on the ground. Seconds passed as Oscar glared at them.

"Shoot him!" Andrew cried. "We can take this prison for ourselves!" Oscar's eyes narrowed. Rick raised his hand in supplication. Rosanna slowly pulled one of her revolvers out of its holster, preparing herself to shoot Oscar. Before she could aim, a shot rang out and Andrew fell down dead. Rosanna let out her breath as Oscar flipped the gun around and handed it slowly to Rick. Rick looked shocked.

"Thank you," he said slowly, and Oscar gave him a nod in return. Rosanna approached Oscar and held out her hand.

"You did the right thing," she told the tall man as he looked down at her, his gaze full of pain.

"I've never killed anyone before," he whispered.

"It's your first time, but it won't be your last," said Daryl as he came up to them. "Not if you wanna stay alive."

Oscar turned away to vomit and Rosanna rubbed his back soothingly, glaring at Daryl. "Leave him alone, Dixon," she ordered. Daryl shrugged.

"Let's get back, find the others," Rick said. They made their way back into the hallway, stepping over walkers that Daryl had killed, and hurried back to the courtyard where Beth, Glenn, Axel and Hershel stood waiting.

"Did you find them?" Hershel asked.

"How'd you turn off the alarms?" Beth asked at the same time.

"It was Andrew all along," Rick said, wiping blood from his face. "Oscar killed him."

"We need to find Maggie and the others," Glenn said, his tone worried.

"All right, this is how it's gonna be," Rick said, looking at each person in turn. "Beth, Hershel, you stay here." He drew his knife from his belt and gave it to Axel. "Axel, will you stay and protect them?" Axel nodded soberly as he took the weapon. "Glenn, give Oscar your machete. You and I will go after Lori and Maggie, Daryl and Rosanna, you two look for Carol and T-Dog. Oscar, I need you to secure the courtyard. Make sure the gates are locked." Oscar nodded as they took off, each group going their separate ways.

Rosanna followed Daryl down the hallway Carol and T-Dog had gone through. The smell of rot was almost overpowering, but Rosanna could smell the faint scents of Carol and T-Dog through it. They turned through hallway after hallway, killing walkers as they went, until they came upon T-Dog's ravaged body. Rosanna broke into sobs as Daryl stabbed the corpse in the brain so he wouldn't reanimate. He pulled her into a hug. "Come on, let's find Carol," he said quietly. She sniffed and followed him down the hall. The scent of blood and rot was so thick, she couldn't smell Carol at all. Daryl stopped suddenly and picked up a scarf from the floor.

"That's Carol's," Rosanna whispered. He nodded. They moved cautiously through the corridors, but Carol was nowhere to be found. It wasn't long before they came out of the last hallway and into the courtyard.

"Any luck?" Beth asked, her eyes sad.

"T's dead," Daryl answered, looking grim. "We didn't find Carol." Beth's eyes filled with tears and she turned to bury her face in her father's chest. Hershel, Axel, and Oscar looked at each other, looking grim. It was then that Rick and Glenn emerged from the opposite side of the courtyard.

"Did you find them?" Hershel asked Rick as they approached. Rick shook his head.

"There's no sign of them anywhere," he said, his voice breaking with emotion. He looked at Daryl. "You?" Daryl shook his head.

"We found T, not Carol," he answered quietly. Rick's eyes shut and he took a deep breath.

"Okay, we're going back in. Rose, you and . . ." The sound of a baby's cry made them all turn around in shock.

Maggie came out of the gate, holding a small bundle in her arms, followed by a dejected looking Carl. Maggie had a horrified expression on her face as she clutched the squirming bundle, and her mouth opened but only a shocked stammering came out. Rick dropped his weapons as he approached her slowly, shaking his head. Rosanna's breath came in short gasps as she put two and two together, realizing what had happened. "My God, Lori!" she cried, dropping to her knees. Daryl's hand came down onto her shoulder.

"Where is she?" Rick asked, staring at the baby. Maggie shook her head. Rick looked at his son, who was staring at the ground, his face expressionless. "Lori!" he cried as he collapsed to the ground. "Lori!" His sobs echoed throughout the courtyard. "No! No!"

Maggie stumbled towards Glenn, who took her and the baby into his arms. Rosanna pulled herself to her feet and ran towards Carl, clutching the boy to her tightly. He slowly put his arms around her and hugged back, his silent sobs shaking his body as he clung to her shirt. Rosanna's gaze met Daryl's, and they stared at each other as their reality crashed around them.


	24. Chapter 24

**WARNING: MATURE CONTENT**

Chapter Twenty Four:

Rosanna burst into tears as she put her forehead down to press against the baby in Maggie's arms. Lori was gone, but the baby seemed fine. Maggie clutched at Rosanna with her free hand, pressing the baby in between them as they cried together. "Rick," she heard Glenn say. "Rick!" She released Maggie and looked over at Rick, who stood breathing heavily, not paying attention to any of them. He looked around like he was searching for something. Carl stood beside him, tears spilling silently down his cheeks as he stared at the ground. Daryl walked up to Rick, waving his hand in front of his face, but Rick didn't move, didn't show that he heard Daryl or Glenn speak to him.

Carl finally came up to Maggie, taking the baby from her and cradling it gently in his arms. "Let me see the baby," Hershel said calmly.

"What are we going to feed it?" Daryl asked as Hershel examined the baby.

"It's a girl, and she's healthy," Hershel murmured, then looked at Daryl. "She needs formula, as soon as possible, or she won't survive."

"No way," Daryl said. "Not her. We're not losing anyone else. I'm going for a run." He looked at Rosanna. "Come with me?" She nodded.

"I'll go too," said Maggie, but Daryl shook his head.

"I'm takin' the bike," he told her, and she sighed. He turned to Beth. "Look after Carl, he just lost his mom." Beth nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll look out for him," she said quietly. Rosanna hugged Maggie, then Carl.

"We're going to make sure your sister will be okay," she told the boy. "Stay with Beth, and look out for the baby." He looked her straight in the eyes.

"I'll protect her," he said fiercely. Rosanna hugged him again, kissed the baby on the forehead, and went to grab her pack. As she came back outside, Rick picked up his axe and hurried into the prison where Maggie and Carl had come from.

"Rick!" Maggie called, but he ignored her and disappeared. Daryl watched him go, then looked over at Axel and Oscar.

"You two start cleaning up these bodies. Maggie, Glenn, make sure our cell block is cleared of walkers. Hershel, Beth, Carl, you three take care of that baby. We'll be back soon." He strode away, and Rosanna hurried to open the gate, killing three walkers as Daryl passed by on the motorcycle. She made sure the gate was secure and jumped on the back, holding onto Daryl's waist.

"Maggie said most of the shopping centers nearby are cleared of baby stuff," Rosanna called out once they were on the road.

"So what are we looking for?" he called back over the noise of the motorcycle. She thought about it for a minute.

"I think our best bet is to look in houses, maybe ones that have kid's toys outside? Maybe there's a daycare nearby."

"Glenn and I saw a house with a playground not too far from here," Daryl answered. "We'll look there first." They drove on in silence until they came up on a house tucked away by itself into the woods. It had a large fenced area with swings, a slide, and a small jungle gym. There was a run down sign outside saying _Little Ducklings Daycare_ in faded letters. Daryl stopped just beside the gate.

"God, I hope they have what we need," Rosanna said as she drew her swords, checking the area for walkers.

"If they don't, we'll look somewhere else," Daryl said gruffly as he opened the gate for her. "I'll go first." She followed him up to the house and they looked in the windows.

"There's cribs and stuff!" Rosanna said excitedly. Daryl grunted, holding his crossbow up as he scanned the area. Rosanna went over to the door and knocked several times. They both held their breath, listening for walkers, but the house was silent. Daryl nodded at her and she tried the doorknob. It wasn't locked, so she opened the door carefully and took a few steps into the house. There were paper handprints all over one wall and toys littered the room. The lingering presence of children made Rosanna sad. "I wonder what happened to all of them," she remarked, pushing a toy train with her toe.

"Doesn't matter. You look for supplies, I'll make sure the rest of the house is clear," Daryl answered. Rosanna took off her pack and knelt by one of the cabinets. It was filled with diapers. She touched them, noticing they were all different sizes.

"I hope they're the right size," she murmured, biting her lip.

"Just take 'em all," Daryl said as he came back into the room.

"There's bottles too," Rosanna commented as she filled her pack. "And wipes." She wrinkled her nose. "We'll need lots of those, right?" He nodded.

"Any formula?" Daryl asked her as she checked the other cabinets.

"No, just towels and things like that," she answered. "To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm looking for, exactly. I've never been around a baby before."

"I have," Daryl said, but didn't elaborate. She checked other cabinets, but all they held was dishes and other household items. They made their way silently through the hallway and into another room. Rosanna looked everywhere, but found only crayons and other art supplies.

"If you find baby clothes or blankets, take those too," Daryl told her. He picked up a small stuffed lamb and handed it to her. "She'll need toys, eventually," he explained. Rosanna shrugged and put the toy in her pack. "Listen!" he said suddenly. A faint banging sound emanated from the kitchen, coming from one of the pantry doors. Daryl aimed his crossbow at it as Rosanna opened the door slowly. She let out a small shriek as an opossum leapt out at her. Daryl shot it midair and it dropped to the ground. "Dinner!" he said happily.

Rosanna rolled her eyes and began searching the other cabinets. "I found some!" she exclaimed as she saw several large cans labeled _Infant Formula_. She opened one, and it still had the safety seal on it. "They're unopened, and they're not expired, either!" She placed them in her pack and smiled at Daryl. He eyed the cans.

"That's not much, but it'll have to do for now," he told her. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean? There's four of them and they're big cans! How much can a baby eat?"

"They don't eat much at a time, but you have to feed them often. Every few hours," he answered soberly.

"How do you know?" she asked, curious. He took a deep breath and looked away from her.

"Merle had a little girl," Daryl said finally. "He got this chick pregnant years ago, but he got caught selling drugs and went to jail right after the baby was born." He opened another cabinet and pulled out a package of pacifiers, handing them to Rosanna. "I helped Reba take care of the kid for a while, while she worked as a waitress in some piece of shit diner."

"What happened to the baby?" Rosanna was almost afraid to ask, but the words came out of her mouth anyway. Daryl shrugged.

"Her name was April. April Renee. Got taken by Child Services before she was a year old. Reba was doin' meth." He closed the cabinet and looked at Rosanna. "Before you ask, no, they wouldn't let me have the kid. Reba never got cleaned up enough to get her back. Dumb bitch ended up ODing anyway. Died on April's first birthday. And by the time Merle got out of prison, April had already been adopted by some rich couple. Never saw her again."

"That's horrible," Rosanna said softly. "I'm sorry." His forehead wrinkled and his mouth worked like he was trying to hold back tears.

"The kid was better off with her new mom and dad anyway," Daryl said finally. "Merle would have been a shit dad." He closed the cabinet he was looking in and opened up another. "She had the bluest eyes. Like yours," he said, his head hidden by the cabinet door. They looked through the rest of the cabinets silently, but found nothing else of value. As they were leaving, Rosanna grabbed a small stack of receiving blankets out of a crib. She looked around the daycare once more, then followed Daryl to the motorcycle.

It was dark when they got back to the prison, and walkers lined up in front of the gate. Rosanna watched as Glenn shot them from the top of the guard tower, and Oscar hurried to open the gate for them. The baby was crying as they entered the cell block. Carl was holding her, jiggling her gently. "How's she doin'?" Daryl asked as Rosanna emptied her pack on the table. He took the baby from Carl and looked over at her. "Get that formula made," he ordered, cradling the baby in his arms.

"I don't know how," Rosanna said, but Maggie pushed her aside.

"Let me." She added water and a couple scoops of formula to one of the bottles and shook it up. "Here," she said, handing the bottle to Daryl. Rosanna watched, fascinated, as Daryl expertly lifted the baby's head and put the nipple in her mouth. Everyone was silent, watching with trepidation, and a collective sigh went up as the baby began to drink noisily. Daryl grinned up at the group.

"She'll be fine. Lil' Asskicker," he said proudly. He looked at Carl. "Does she have a name yet?" Carl shook his head.

"I was thinking, maybe Sophia?" He looked at the baby sadly. "Or Carol. Andrea. Amy." Carl paused, considering. "Jacqui. Patricia." He swallowed hard. "Or . . . Lori." His face crumpled at the mention of his mother's name. Rosanna put her arm around his shoulders, and he slowly put his around her waist.

"I like Lil' Asskicker," Rosanna said, and everyone laughed. It wasn't long before the baby let the bottle fall out of her mouth. She let out a tiny snore.

"Where are we putting her to sleep?" Daryl asked quietly.

"In here," Beth said, pointing to a cardboard box lined with blankets.

"Put a diaper on her or she'll mess her bed," Hershel told his daughter. Daryl put the baby gently into the box and Beth slid a diaper under her bottom without waking her.

"Here's a blanket," Rosanna said, handing Beth one from her pack. "Will she get too cold, do you think?"

Hershel shook his head. "It's warm enough in here, and we can't overheat her. We can bathe and dress her when she wakes up for her next feeding."

"I'll watch her," Beth said as she carried the box with the sleeping baby to her cell.

"We'll take it in shifts," Maggie told her sister.

"Axel's on watch right now," Glenn told the rest of them. "We need someone to relieve him in a couple hours."

"I'll do it," Rosanna offered. "I won't be of much help with the baby. Someone's going to have to teach me so I can take shifts with her too."

"I can take a shift with the baby," Oscar said quietly. "I have . . . _had_ . . . three kids."

"Thank you, that will help," Hershel told the man, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But for now, why don't we all get some rest. We're going to need it with a baby around." The group nodded collectively and Glenn and Maggie headed off to their cell. Oscar looked uncomfortable.

"Does anyone mind if I stay in here tonight?" he asked. "We didn't have time to clear our cell block, and I . . ."

"I don't know what Rick will do when he comes back, but for now, it's fine if you stay here. There's an empty cell next to mine," said Hershel. Oscar nodded and sighed in relief.

"I'm not tired at all, but I'm sure Axel is after clearing all those bodies today," Rosanna said. "I'll go relieve him now." Daryl's gaze followed her as she hurried out of the cell block.

Tears filled her eyes as she walked through the courtyard in the darkness. The events of the day had exhausted her, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Axel tried to convince her to go on to bed but she demurred, telling him to go ahead and get some rest while he could. He smiled warmly at her and gave her the blanket he had wrapped around his shoulders against the chill of the night. After he left, Rosanna leaned against the wall, fighting back tears as she tried to get herself together. She looked up at the sky, the moon and stars fully out, and she closed her eyes, pressing her palms to them, trying to stop the crying. "Lori . . . T . . ." she whispered, naming her friends as if that could bring them back. Seeing T-Dog's ravaged body had broken something in her. And Lori . . . she still hadn't heard the full story from Maggie or Carl on how the poor woman had died. "Carol . . ." The woman hadn't been much of a friend lately, but she was still family. They hadn't found a body, but Rosanna assumed she had been eaten as well. She smelled Daryl's scent of pine and sweat before she heard him climb the stairs, and she turned away, not wanting him to see her break down. He stood before her for a moment.

"Rosanna," was all Daryl said before he wrapped her into an embrace. She let go then, sobbing hard, as he held her tightly in his arms. Her own arms snaked up around his neck, holding him closer.

"Daryl . . ."

"What is it, baby?" he answered, rubbing her back.

"This is just so, so hard," she whispered, clutching him tighter.

"I know," was all he said, and then his lips were on hers. He kissed her long and thoroughly, disregarding the tears flowing down her cheeks. She kissed him back with equal abandon, her hands fisting in his hair. He kissed her for a long minute before breaking away and holding her closer to him.

"I'm . . . I'm sorry," she tried to say, but his fingers closed over her lips.

"Don't," he said. "It wasn't your fault."

"How is it not?" Rosanna asked, looking at her boots. "T-Dog, Lori . . . If I would have just . . . And Carol . . . you and her were so close . . ."

"No." he said, stroking her hair. "No one coulda' known this was gonna happen. You protected Beth and Hershel. You can't be everywhere, Rosie-girl. None of this was your fault. It was that little bitch Andrew's fault."

"But I . . ." He kissed her again, cutting her off. Rosanna held him tightly, feeling as if she wanted to melt into him, become a part of him, and never let go. "Oh Daryl," she whispered on to his lips. He hugged her tighter.

"Say it again," he mumbled against her mouth.

"What?"

"'M name."

"Daryl," she whispered again, and with a long happy sigh his hands cupped her face and he kissed her all the harder. When he finally broke away he looked down at her, her face still in his hands, and pressed his forehead to hers.

"We'll get through this," he said.

Rosanna looked into his eyes. "Daryl, I can't do this."

"Do what?"

"This. This . . . kissing, and feeling like this . . . and then . . . you hating me after."

He shook his head. "Not this time. This time . . . I know you're strong, but I coulda' lost ya." Daryl clutched her to him, rubbing her back. "I felt . . . I'm not good with words. But know this, Rosanna, you're _my_ girl. _Mine._ If . . . If you'll have me."

She looked at him, stunned. "Daryl Dixon are you declaring yourself?"

"I know what I feel and it isn't to let you be." He looked at her, tucking strands of hair behind her ears. "I felt like this back at the farm. Just was too stupid to tell you. I want you by my side, taking care of you, fighting the world with you . . . and I want you in my bed." He hesitated and looked back at her warily. "If I didn't already ruin it by being an asshole."

It was her turn to cup her hands around his face. "I want you Daryl. I want to be yours. I've felt like this a long time, just . . ."

"Me bein' a dick," he stated.

She giggled a little through her tears. "Yes. You being a dick."

"Can't promise I won't ever be a dick again," Daryl said quickly.

"You'll learn, I'm sure," she whispered back, and his lips covered hers once more. They kissed for what seemed like forever, and his hands slid under her shirt to caress her back.

"I want you," he mumbled in her ear before kissing the lobe and trailing his tongue along the top. She shivered, and he held her closer. "But not here. You deserve a proper bed, but we'll have to make do with those fucking prison beds." She giggled as his mouth moved slowly down her neck.

"I'm supposed to be on watch," she said, moaning a little as his mouth touched on the sensitive skin where her neck met her shoulder.

"Then we'll watch," he answered, pulling her down to sit on the floor in a spot where they could see the woods. He held her close to him as they waited for someone to take over. When Maggie and Glenn came to relieve them, they stopped and stared at Daryl's arm around her shoulder, his other hand clasping Rosanna's. Maggie wiggled her eyebrows at her as Daryl pulled Rosanna up and hurried her down the guard tower stairs, through the courtyard, and into the cell block. Rosanna giggled as Daryl slid into Maggie and Glenn's cell, grabbing a few condoms before slipping back out. They tiptoed in silence up to her cell, and Daryl followed her into the tiny room, making sure the sheet hanging as a curtain covered the entire door.

She stood in the middle of the room, staring at him. He put his crossbow in a corner and walked around her slowly, raising a finger to gently brush against the skin on her arm, her neck, the backs of her thighs. Rosanna drew in a ragged breath as he stood before her, tilting her head back and kissing her until she was dizzy. Daryl's hands slid up her sides under her shirt, then suddenly he grasped the edges of the cloth and pulled it over her head. He kissed her again, unbuttoning her shorts and letting them slide to the floor. Taking her hands, he pulled her forward so she stepped out of the pile of clothes, standing before him in just her bra and underwear.

"So fuckin' beautiful," he breathed, nuzzling her neck, sliding his tongue down her chest, grazing across the tops of her breasts.

"Daryl," Rosanna whispered as he cupped her chin and kissed her, his other hand grasping her buttocks as he pulled her close to him. She could feel his erection through his jeans and she moaned into his mouth. His lips curved into a smile against her own as he pulled her tighter.

"I've never seen your hair loose," he whispered in her ear. Rosanna felt him reach around her and he pulled off her hair tie, shaking her braid loose. Her hair moved around her body like a curtain, down past her waist, brushing against the tops of her buttocks lightly. Daryl moved back so he could look at her and his eyes darkened with desire. He picked up a lock of her hair, curling slightly at the ends, and rubbed it over his cheeks and nose. "So soft," he whispered, taking her mouth in his again. His fingers moved to unclasp her bra and he slid it off her slowly. He stepped back once more, looked at her breasts, and kissed each one reverentially before taking her elbows and moving her towards the bed.

"Oh my God," Rosanna moaned as his hands and lips moved over her body, licking, sucking, and tasting. His fingers grazed over and over her breasts like whispers on silk before he finally took one in each hand and squeezed lightly, then almost painfully. She gasped in surprise and ecstasy, only moaning louder once he sucked one nipple into his hot mouth, his other hand massaging her left breast. Daryl moved to the other nipple, making her moan his name, her fists clenching her blankets. He made love slowly to each breast, one after the other, until she couldn't take it anymore. "Dary . . . please," she begged.

He grinned at her and slid his mouth down her abdomen, trailing kisses down to her panties. He breathed on her wet folds through the fabric, making her shove a fist in her mouth to muffle her scream. "You smell so fuckin' good, baby," Daryl growled as he nuzzled her with his nose, making her arch her back. He slid off her panties and groaned as he saw her completely naked. Grabbing her thighs with a feral expression, he began licking and sucking on her clitoris, then down her slit, over and over until she was moaning and twisting, saying his name over and over. When her climax hit her she screamed, barely noticing his hand cover her mouth, or the sound of his belt unbuckling and the clang of his knife as it hit the floor. He paused for a moment to put on the condom, then he growled and knelt between her legs. Her body was still shivering with the aftereffects of her orgasm as he pulled himself on top of her, slamming into her wetness with a groan of desire. Rosanna's legs moved of their own accord to wrap around his back, her arms gripped the steel of his muscular arms as he pounded into her.

"Rosie, Rosie, Rosie," he groaned into her ear over and over, then all of a sudden he bit on her neck and stiffened, moaning into her skin. Rosanna came again, her body jolting from the pain and pleasure of the bite as he finally collapsed on top of her.

Daryl slid slowly off of her and looked down at her almost worshipfully. He stared at her for a moment, then pulled off his shirt and vest so he was finally completely naked in front of her. Rosanna smiled as he slid back beside her, turning her to her side so he could spoon her, holding her close and stroking her hair until she fell asleep.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five:

Rosanna woke up to the delicious feeling of Daryl's body cuddled close to hers. She sighed lightly, snuggling closer to him, reveling in the feeling of his strong arm pulling her closer to him as he slept. Opening her eyes, she reached out a hand, tentatively running her fingertips along the strong muscles of his bicep. His nose ran up the skin along her neck and shoulder, making her shiver. "Daryl," Rosanna whispered. She felt his lips curve into a smile.

"Rosie," he answered huskily. "My Rosie." Rosanna heard footsteps, then someone cleared their throat outside the makeshift sheet door.

"Are you two awake?" Maggie's voice called, sounding amused.

"We are now," Daryl growled, propping himself up on one arm.

"Y'all need to come down here, we need to discuss Rick," said Maggie. She paused for a second. "And Rosanna, remember when you teased me about me and Glenn being loud?" Rosanna felt her cheeks flush and she hid her face in Daryl's chest.

"Yeah . . ." she mumbled into his skin. Maggie giggled.

"Glad to know we're not the only loud ones!" she said as her footsteps died away. Rosanna groaned.

"Was I really that loud?" she asked Daryl. He grinned at her.

"Don't care if you were," he said, trailing fingers down her collarbone. She shook her head and playfully pushed him away.

"Come on, let's go see what's the matter with Rick," Rosanna said as she stood up. Daryl stared up at her.

"He's grievin'," he said slowly. "Makes me feel kinda guilty, to be so happy after all that went down." Rosanna held out a hand to him after she pulled on her clothes.

"Me too," she admitted. He pressed her hand to his cheek before kissing her palm and getting up himself. When they were both decently dressed, they walked hand in hand down to the common room. Axel and Oscar nowhere to be found, but Hershel sat at a table with Maggie and Glenn, while Carl and Beth sat in a corner, feeding Lil Asskicker. All of them eyed Rosanna and Daryl's entwined hands. Hershel smiled knowingly, but Glenn actually chuckled. Maggie elbowed him as Daryl released Rosanna's hand, giving the group a surly glare.

"There's oatmeal for breakfast," Glenn told them. Rosanna went over to the makeshift kitchen, got two bowls, and served some of the oatmeal for herself and Daryl.

"So what's goin' on with Rick?" Daryl asked through a mouthful of oatmeal.

"He won't come out of the tombs," Hershel said sadly. "Glenn went to talk to him, but Rick . . . well, it seems like he's lost his mind." Rosanna gaped at him.

"Lost his mind?" she asked, exchanging a horrified glance with Daryl.

"Couldn't he just be grievin', Daddy?" Beth asked, putting a hand on Carl's shoulder as he stared morosely at his sister. Hershel nodded slowly.

"He's grieving, Bethy, but it's more than that," Hershel answered, looking at Daryl and Rosanna.

"What d' you think we should do?" Daryl asked. "Just leave 'im be, see if he comes out of it?"

"I think it's more than grieving," Rosanna said, standing up to put her bowl in the bucket that served as a sink. "He's feeling guilty. We all saw how he treated Lori the last few weeks of her life. Now that she's gone, there's no way he can make that up to her."

"He didn't know what he had until he lost it," Maggie agreed. "It makes sense." She looked at her father. "Is there anything we can do for him? Any pills we have that can help?" Hershel shrugged.

"I'm a vet, honey, not a psychiatrist. And I don't think pills will help Rick."

"He hasn't even looked at the baby," Carl said quietly. Everyone stared at him. His expression changed to one of anger. "He hasn't looked at her. Not once! Doesn't he care about her? Or me?" Beth put the arm that wasn't holding the baby around his shoulders.

"Of course he cares, Carl," Glenn assured him. "He's just . . . going through a rough time."

Carl stood up. "And I haven't gone through a rough time? I had to shoot my own mom!" He rushed to the door, where Axel and Oscar were just coming through. They watched Carl go with trepidation.

"Everything okay?" Axel asked hesitantly.

"We were discussing Rick," Hershel explained.

"He still hasn't come out of the tombs?" Oscar asked, looking at each person in turn. They all shook their heads. "Should someone go after him, maybe talk him out of whatever he's thinking?"

"I tried," Glenn said sheepishly. "He threatened me, so I just left him alone." He stood up and moved towards the door. "I'm going to go after Carl, he shouldn't be by himself right now."

"We came in for breakfast," Oscar said, "if that's okay?"

"It's okay," Rosanna assured him. "Daryl and I will take watch."

"We'll need to clear out the rest of those walkers from the courtyard sometime today," Daryl said as he put his empty bowl in the bucket.

"I can help with that," Oscar offered, and Daryl nodded.

"I think we should let Carl help us," Rosanna mused. "Give him something worthwhile to do to take his mind off his dad."

"If y'all are going to clear the courtyard, I'll go back on watch as soon as I finish breakfast," Axel said.

"That would be wonderful, thank you," Rosanna answered.

"Glenn and I are going to go on a run for more baby supplies," Maggie said. "We'll leave in a couple of hours, I want to get caught up on chores around here first."

"I can help with the dishes," Beth said sweetly. Maggie shook her head.

"You've got your hands full with Lil Asskicker," she told her sister.

"I'm going to go get Carl, tell him to be ready to help us," Rosanna told Daryl. He nodded.

"I got somethin' to do first, then I'll meet you by the gate." She looked at him questioningly, but he looked away and strode out of the common room. Rosanna shrugged and went to find Carl, walking part of the way with Axel, who was on his way back to the guard tower.

"I sure like bein' part of the group, Rosanna," Axel told her as he held his gun tightly. "I hope that don't change when Rick gets over his grievin'." Rosanna turned to smile at him, but she saw Daryl making his way across the field towards the graveyard. She blinked hard and focused back on Axel.

"We'll all tell Rick you guys have been indispensable," she assured him. "We all appreciate your help." Axel grinned.

"It's like we said at the beginning, we _want_ to help," he answered, then mock saluted her as he headed for the tower. Rosanna walked a few yards away and pressed her face against the fence, watching as Daryl approached Carol's grave. He stood there a few moments before placing something on the grave and then turned abruptly, walking back up to the courtyard. Rosanna hurried away, not wanting him to see her spying on him. She caught up to Glenn and Carl, told Carl what she needed him for, and the three of them made their way back to the cell block.

Glenn and Maggie left on their run, while Rosanna, Daryl, Oscar, and Carl made their way to the courtyard. They grouped together in formation and began killing the walkers methodically. When that chore was done, Rosanna proposed clearing the part of the tombs where they had found T-Dog's body. Daryl and Oscar agreed, and they proceeded down to the corridors under the prison. There were few walkers left, and Daryl and Rosanna let Oscar and Carl take them down, knowing they needed the practice.

"Good going, guys," Rosanna said as they turned a corner. A door kept opening and closing, blocked by dead walkers.

"We'll get them on the way back," Daryl said, leading the others down the corridor.

"Come on, Carl," Rosanna said, wrapping her arm around Carl's skinny shoulders. He sighed and gently nudged her off, his face hardening as he strode forward. Daryl looked at him for a moment.

"You know, my mom liked her wine, and she liked to smoke in bed," he said casually, directing his words to the wounded little boy. "She smoked Virginia Slims," Daryl continued as he opened a door, checking for walkers. "I was playing out with the kids in the neighborhood, Merle was gone, so I could do that. They had bikes, I didn't. We heard sirens, so they all jumped on their bikes to go after them. I followed, but I was running, so I didn't get there until everyone else was already there. I turned the corner, and all my friends were starin' at me. Then I saw that it was _my_ house that was on fire. There were fire trucks everywhere, people from the neighborhood. My mom fell asleep with a lit cigarette, burned herself up and the house with it."

Carl looked up at him, the faintest glimmer of emotion in his eyes. Rosanna stared at Daryl, her heart breaking for him, how he must have felt that day long ago. Daryl looked Carl in the eyes. "My mom was gone. Erased. Nothin' left of her. People said it was better that way. I just didn't feel like it was real." He turned away and continued down the corridor. Carl took his sleeve and held it tightly.

"I shot my mom," he said solemnly. "She was out, hadn't turned yet. So I ended it. It was real." He stared at Daryl for a few more seconds, then looked down. "I'm sorry about your mom." Daryl studied him.

"I'm sorry about yours," he said finally. He put his hand on Carl's shoulder. "Come on." Rosanna and Oscar exchanged glances and followed them. They encountered several walkers, which they took out easily, and continued on.

"Doesn't seem like there are many down here," Rosanna commented as she watched Oscar dispatch another walker.

"We'll continue 'til we come out of the other cell block," Daryl said. "Be careful of the ones on the ground," he told Oscar as one reached out for the tall man. "That's how Hershel got bit." Oscar nodded and stabbed the legless walker in the head. They walked on for a few more minutes, then Oscar let out what could only be called a squeak of happiness. They all turned to look at him.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Oscar said happily as he strode into a cell. They went back to see what he was doing. Oscar knelt by a pair of plaid slippers, his face beaming with excitement.

"What the hell do you need slippers for?" Daryl asked. Rosanna and Carl giggled when Oscar looked incredulously up at him.

"You know! The end of the day! Relaxin'!" Oscar explained as he picked up the slippers. Rosanna smelled rot and flipped around to behead the walker that was coming up behind them just as Daryl let loose a bolt and Oscar and Carl shot it.

"Good reflexes," Rosanna said, moving to look at the walker, who had two bullets and a crossbow in his forehead. She kicked the head, but Daryl grabbed her arm.

"Look," he said, pointing at the neck. There was a knife embedded in the skin. Rosanna looked at Daryl, who was staring strangely at the knife. He bent to pull it out. "That's Carol's knife," he said slowly. He cleaned the knife off and put it in his belt, an unfathomable expression on his face. They followed as he stood up and made his way slowly down the corridor, looking into each cell, every doorway. When they finally made it to the cell block, Daryl opened the door for them and looked at Rosanna. "I'm goin' back in, alone," he told her. Oscar and Carl walked off, leaving the two to talk alone.

"Why?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Just feel like I need to."

"Daryl . . ." she began, but he put his hand on her cheek and pulled he close for a kiss, Her swords dropped to the ground and she pulled him closer to her.

"I'll be back, baby," he said after breaking the kiss.

"Daryl, are we . . . are we _together_?" she asked hesitantly.

"What d' you mean?"

Rosanna took a deep breath and tried again. "Are we . . . you know . . . _together_?"

He smirked. "You mean, am I your boyfriend?" She nodded. He gripped her chin in his hand and smiled at her. "I guess I am." She crossed her arms.

"You _guess_ , or you _are_?" He put his crossbow down and pulled her into his arms.

"I told you, you're _my_ woman," he answered into her hair. " _Mine_." She hugged him, then pulled away.

"Be careful down there," she whispered. Daryl nodded.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll always come back to you." He smiled at her once more, shouldered his crossbow, and walked back into the darkness. Rosanna sighed and went back to their cell block, where the others, including Rick, were congregated. She stared at the sight of Rick holding his baby, and he smiled at her as she came up to him and gave him a tight hug.

"Rick?" she asked, staring up at him. He nodded at her.

"I'm fine," he answered her unasked question. "Come on, let's take her into the sun."

Beth and Hershel, along with Carl and Rosanna, followed Rick out of the cell block into the light. The baby squinted and made a face. Rosanna giggled. "She's not used to the sun," she told Rick. He grinned at her, then looked at Carl.

"She looks like you, when you were a baby," he told his son, who smiled. Rick studied the baby's face for a moment, then looked over at the gate and froze. Rosanna followed his gaze. There were walkers around the fence as usual, but one looked different. A black woman with dreadlocks, a sword strapped to her back, holding a grocery basket in one hand. She had the other hand on the fence. Rick glanced at Rosanna and tilted his head towards the woman. Rosanna pulled out one of her revolvers and nodded as Rick gave the baby to Carl.

"She's no walker," Rosanna said as she followed Rick down through the fields to the gate, sniffing the air. She could smell fresh blood, but it wasn't rotted. The woman was injured.

"She's a threat," Rick replied.

"We don't know that," Rosanna whispered as they approached the woman. She stared back at them and Rosanna looked down at the grocery basket. "Rick, she's got formula!" He narrowed his eyes at the newcomer as the woman stared back at him, her expression pained. They stared at each other for several long moments, then Rosanna heard footsteps and smelled Carl's scent coming up behind them.

"She's hurt," Carl said, just as one of the walkers at the fence sniffed towards the woman. She jerked back and drew her sword, handling it efficiently, but Rosanna could tell she was close to passing out. Carl ran to the gate and looked over at his father. "Should we help her?"

"Rick . . ." Rosanna began, but Rick just stared at the woman impassively. Rosanna bit her lip and ran to the gate. "Open it, Carl," she ordered as Rick came up behind her, saying nothing. Rosanna leapt out from behind the gate just as the woman fell to the ground in a faint. Rosanna killed the walkers surrounding her and went to the woman, nudging her with her foot. When she didn't respond, Rosanna thought she might be dead, but her eyelids were fluttering like she was trying to wake up.

"Get her sword, check her for weapons and bites," Rick said, as he came to assist her. Carl ran for the grocery basket and picked it up.

"Dad, it's formula!" Carl cried as he rummaged through the contents.

"How could she know we needed it?" Rosanna asked as she expertly frisked the woman, taking a couple of knives from her belt and her ankle. She noted the wound in the woman's thigh, as did Rick. She took one side of the woman, while Rick took the other, and together the two of them lifted her up and began dragging her towards the cell block as Carl relocked the gate. Hershel and Beth met them as they passed the central courtyard gate.

"Is she bit?" the vet asked.

"No. She's been shot in the thigh," Rick answered. They took the woman into the cell block and Rick began giving orders. "Carl, a blanket. Beth, get water and a towel." He pointed to the small, empty cell in the common room. "We'll put her here." He and Rosanna laid the woman gently on the blanket Carl spread out. Rick took a bottle of water from Beth and poured it over the woman's chest, trying to get her to wake up. Her eyelids fluttered and she jerked awake, staring at Rick with fear in her eyes. "It's okay, it's okay," Rick told her, but the woman tried to reach for her sword. Rosanna kicked it away and held the woman down as Rick sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Who are you?" he asked finally. She struggled a bit, but Rosanna held her tightly. "Look, we're not going to hurt you, not unless you do something stupid first." She stared at Rick, then Rosanna.

"He's right," Rosanna told her gently. "We won't hurt you. Just be calm, okay?" The woman stopped struggling and tried to ease herself up to a sitting position, but cringed in pain. Rosanna let the woman up onto her elbows.

"What's your name?" Rick asked her, but the woman stayed silent. He glanced at Rosanna and she shrugged.

"Whos this?" Daryl asked as he strode into the room. Rosanna was so relieved to see him she jumped up and flew into his arms, leaving Rick to deal with the woman. Daryl held her close for a few moments, then let her go with a smile. "Y'all need to get in here," he said, grinning.

"Is everything okay?" Rick asked, giving Daryl a worried glance. Daryl nodded.

"You'll need to come see this," was all he'd say. Beth and Hershel went into the cell block, along with Carl, who still held the grocery basket filled with formula. Rick stared down at the woman, picking her sword up off the floor.

"We'll keep this safe and sound," he told her. "The doors are all locked, you'll be safe here." The woman glanced around the room, looking both angry and afraid. "We can also treat your wound," Rick continued. The woman looked around once more and took a deep breath.

"I didn't ask for your help," she almost whispered.

"Doesn't matter," Rick shrugged. "I can't let you leave." He turned and strode past Daryl and Rosanna into the cell block. With one last look at the woman, Rosanna turned to follow.


	26. Chapter 26

_Author's Note: Sorry about the long period between updates. The end of July and most of August we had a lot going on: traveling to visit family, camping, etc. Now that there's only a week before my kids start school again, I'll be home, and hopefully will have time to update more often. Thank you for your patience._

Chapter Twenty Six:

Daryl locked the cell block door, leaving the woman glaring at them, and Rosanna took his hand as they followed Rick to the cells. She froze in her tracks behind Rick as he stopped abruptly, looking at someone in the cell before them. Carol leaned over, her dirty face full of happiness as she looked up at Rick. She stood up slowly, and Rick pulled her into his arms. "Thank God," Rick murmured as he held Carol close. Hershel moved up for a hug as she released Rick, his craggy face alight with delight.

"How can this be?" Hershel asked.

"She fought her way into a cell," Daryl answered, grinning. "She passed out, and she's dehydrated, but she's okay." Rosanna tightened her grip on his hand and he pulled her tighter to him. Carol's gaze met hers for a moment, and her eyes traveled down to Rosanna and Daryl's entwined hands. Her eyes hardened, but then Beth came forward with the baby and Carol let out a gasp of surprise. She took the baby in her arms, cuddling her close, and turned to Rick. His eyes told Carol everything. Carol began to sob as she held the baby, one hand going to clutch Rick's shirt.

"Oh no," Carol cried. "No!" Rick pulled her into a gentle hug as his eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Rick, I'm sorry," Carol whispered, holding him tightly. Rosanna pressed closer to Daryl, knowing Carol's pain at losing her best friend would eat at her for some time. She and Lori had been so close. Out of the corner of her eye, Rosanna saw movement, and she turned to see the woman staring at them from behind the cell block door. Rosanna gave her a half smile, and the woman's eyes softened, though her lips pressed together tightly. She turned back to look at Carol, just as Daryl released her hand to put his arm around her shoulders. Carol watched them, saying nothing, as Rosanna put an arm around his waist.

"Beth, get Carol some water and food," Rick said, not noticing the cold look Carol was giving Rosanna. Daryl slowly released her as he looked from Carol to Rosanna, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I'll do it," Rosanna said, reaching for the keys in Daryl's hand. He handed them over to her without a word, but then he noticed the woman staring at them and he took them back.

"I'll come with you," he said, staring at the woman with a hard look. She followed him to the door. "You need to step back, away from my woman," Daryl ordered. The woman slowly made her way back to her blanket, and Daryl unlocked the door. Rosanna grabbed a bottle of water and several protein bars, took them to Carol, who accepted them with a brief nod, and went back to sit in the common room, with Daryl coming to sit beside her. She and the woman stared at each other silently.

"We can tend to that wound for you," Rick said as he strode in, followed by Hershel. "We'll give you some food and water, then send you on your way." The woman gazed at him without fear, but said nothing. "You're going to have to tell us how you found us, though, and explain why you were carrying formula." The woman glared at him for a moment.

"The supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy," she began slowly. "He was with a pretty girl." Hershel and Rick exchanged glances.

"What happened?" Rick asked, putting his hand on his gun.

"Were they attacked?" Hershel asked, concern in his face. The woman directed her words to him.

"They were taken."

Rosanna stood up, followed by Daryl. "Taken?" she asked. "Taken by who?"

The woman met her gaze. "Taken by the same son of a bitch who shot me."

Rick leapt forward, grabbing the woman by her wound. "Those are our people! You tell us what happened right now!" She jumped up, her finger pointed into his face, as Rosanna drew her swords and Daryl aimed his crossbow at the woman's head.

"Don't you dare touch me again!" she shouted.

"Start talkin'!" Daryl yelled back as she looked at him, her eyes widening as she noticed the crossbow inches from her face. "Or you'll have a much bigger problem than a gunshot wound!" Rosanna sheathed her swords as the woman froze, breathing hard. She slowly pushed Daryl's crossbow down and looked at the woman.

"Let's not get all crazy, okay?" Rosanna said. "We're all going to just calm down and talk about this." The woman closed her eyes and nodded once. "Okay. Please, can you tell us what happened to our people? I know you came here for a reason, just tell us what it is. We can help you, if you help us." The woman grimaced.

"There's a town. Woodbury," the woman began, addressing Rosanna. "There's about seventy five survivors there."

"A whole town?" Rick asked, looking livid.

"Yes. Run by this guy who calls himself the Governor," the woman practically spat the last word, her features twisting with hate. "He's a pretty boy, charmin', you know the type. He's got a group of the men that do his bidding like he's a king or something. Those were the ones that went after me."

"Why'd they go after you?" Rosanna asked.

"My friend and I stayed there a few days. She was sick, they took care of her. But I didn't like it there. Something's not right. That Governor . . . something's off about him. I didn't trust him while I was there, but he told me I could leave. When I did, he sent his goons after me."

"They have muscle?" Daryl asked. She nodded.

"A bunch of military wannabes. Armed sentries on every wall."

"Is there a way in?" Rick asked. She nodded again.

"It's secure against walkers, but we could slip our way through."

"How'd you know how to get here?" Rick asked.

"I was watching the Asian guy and the girl. They were talking, mentioned the prison, what direction it was in."

Rosanna scrutinized her. "You're telling me that they were just talking about the prison out of nowhere, and just happened to mention its whereabouts?"

The woman shrugged. "They were talking about how messed up it was that a baby would have to grow up in a prison, but how they were glad it was a safe place. The girl said she hadn't believed Rick at first, but the place was growing into a real home. The guy said he trusted Rick to always do what was best for the group." She stared at Rick. "I'm guessin' you're Rick."

"You guessed right," he answered. He paused for a moment, then motioned to Hershel. "This is Hershel, the father of the girl who was taken. He'll take care of that." Rick pointed at her thigh, where the woman held a wad of towels to stop the bleeding. He turned abruptly and strode away, motioning for Daryl and Rosanna to follow him. "We need to call a meeting, now." He cupped his hands around his mouth. "I need everyone down here, ASAP!"

Beth and Carol came down from the perch, having put the baby down to sleep in her box. Carl and Oscar came from their cells, and Axel came from the bathrooms, where he had been inspecting the pipes to see if he could get them working again. Rosanna and Daryl stood pressed close together as Rick explained what had happened. "Carl, I need you to keep watch on that woman while Hershel stitches her up," he said finally. Carl nodded and walked off. Rick ran his hands through his hair before looking at each of them and quickly saying what had happened.

"This is Glenn and Maggie," Beth said, her eyes flashing with anger. "We're going to go get them, aren't we?" Rick took a deep breath and began to speak but Daryl cut him off.

"I'll go," he said. Rosanna nodded.

"Me too. We can't just leave them there, no matter how secure the place is."

"You two can't go alone," Rick began.

"I'll go too," Beth said, gripping the hilt of her knife tightly.

"Me too," said Axel, stepping forward.

"I'm in," Oscar agreed. Rick looked gratified.

"I appreciate it," he told the ex prisoners with a smile that let Rosanna know he had finally accepted them as part of the group. He took a breath. "Okay, this is how it's gonna go down. Beth and Carol will stay with the baby. Daryl, Oscar, you'll come with me. We're going to take that woman with us. Rose, Axel, I want you two here to look after things."

"I want to go," Rosanna insisted. Rick shook his head and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Rose, you're my strongest fighter," he said solemnly. "We don't know what's going to happen. They could be torturing Maggie and Glenn for information. The woman out there said something's not right about that place. If he went after her just for leaving, then he's definitely going to come after us if we manage to break in there. If he's got our location from Glenn or Maggie, then he'll come after us. He may be on his way here now. I trust you to take care of my kids and get them to safety if that's the case."

"You think you won't come back," Rosanna said, glaring at Rick, then looking up at Daryl with worry.

"We'll come back," Daryl assured her, touching her face. "Rick's right, Rosie, you're needed here."

"I need to be where you are," she answered behind clenched teeth. Daryl looked over at Rick, took Rosanna by the arm, and led her to an empty cell.

"I know you wanna go, Rosie, but you need to stay here."

"You know what I'm capable of," Rosanna said angrily. "I can help."

"That's why you need to stay here," Daryl whispered in her ear. "If that Governor asshole comes here, you're the only one that can save the kids. And Hershel. And Carol."

"I don't want you going into danger without me," Rosanna persisted. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"Rosie-girl, didn't I tell you I'll always come back to you?" She nodded, putting her head on his chest. "Do y' believe me?" She nodded again. "Will you do this for me?" She nodded a third time, and he reached for her chin to tilt her head up to his while he kissed her deeply. He took her hand and walked back to the others. "She'll stay," he told Rick.

"Thank you, Rose," Rick said, then turned to the others. "Let's go."

They began gathering weapons from their meager store, and were soon out in the courtyard by Maggie's SUV. Rosanna stood next to Carl as they watched Daryl and Oscar load the back of the car up with supplies. "Do you think they'll get Glenn and Maggie back?" he asked as he watched Rick walk back and forth giving orders. She motioned for him to pick up one of the bags of supplies, grabbed one herself, and began walking to the SUV.

"They will, I'm sure of it," Rosanna said, as cheerily as she could. They placed the bags in the trunk and stood back as Daryl closed it. He tousled Carl's hair.

"Don't worry, I'll bring your dad back safe," he reassured the child. Carl nodded and Daryl draped his arm around Rosanna's shoulders as they walked over to Rick. Beth was opening the gate for the woman, with Axel hovering by her side. Carol stood by Hershel, holding the baby. Rick motioned for Carl to follow him, and the two walked away to talk alone. Daryl drew Rosanna away as well. She felt Carol's eyes on them as he pulled her around the corner and grabbed her face, kissing her over and over again before pulling her tightly into his arms.

"Come back safe to me," Rosanna whispered in his ear. He grinned down at her.

"Told ya I would, woman," he whispered back. "I'll always come back to you, Rosanna." He kissed her again, then kissed her on the forehead. "Take care of the kids, baby." She giggled a little at that.

"You sound like an old married man," she said, pushing at his chest. " _Take care of the kids, baby_." He grinned again, grabbed her wrist and kissed it, keeping his eyes on hers before kissing her mouth once more. "Go on," she said, swatting at his butt. "Bring our family home." He nodded and walked over to the car, where Rick and the others were waiting. Carl and Rosanna waved as they watched their loved ones leave, then Carl looked at Rosanna with a grin.

"We named the baby," he said exuberantly. Carol, Hershel, and Beth looked over with interest. "We decided to call her Judith!"

"Judith, huh?" Hershel said, his eyes twinkling despite the worry on his face.

"I like it," Rosanna said, smiling at Carl.

"Me too!" Beth chimed in. They all looked at the sleeping baby in Carol's arms. Rosanna's eyes met Carol's and the two women stared at each other before Carol finally looked away.

"Why don't we go inside," Carol said. "Beth, take Judith. I want to talk to Rosanna." Rosanna crossed her arms, waiting for everyone to go back inside. Carol turned to her with her eyes narrowed. "So, you and Daryl are a thing now?" she asked. Rosanna nodded.

"We're together, if that's what you're asking."

"You're not good for him," Carol told her bluntly. Rosanna shrugged.

"I think he's old enough to make his own decisions."

"You two tortured Randall together. You feed into Daryl's dark side, and that's exactly what Merle used to do." Carol crossed her arms and glared at Rosanna. " _You are not good for him_."

"I disagree," Rosanna retorted, staring Carol down. To her surprise, Carol burst into tears. "Carol . . ." Rosanna reached out to the woman but Carol held up a hand.

"No. Don't come closer." She wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"Look," Rosanna began. "We were at odds at the farm, then we started getting along again when we were on the road. The second we found this prison, you suddenly became my enemy once more. What the hell happened?" The older woman glared at her, then her eyes softened and she looked down.

"I thought . . . maybe Daryl wanted me, like a man wants a woman." Carol bit her lip and looked at Rosanna. "I always saw Daryl differently than the rest of the group. At first, back at the Atlanta camp, I . . . I just _felt_ like he was a different person than the facade he puts up. Then at the farm, before you came along, it seemed like he was interested in me. At least . . . I thought so. He brought me flowers, he spent so much time looking for Sophia . . . well, I just . . ." She paused and looked away. "I thought he would be my salvation, you know."

"What do you mean, your salvation?" Rosanna was curious.

"I thought he would be the person who would truly love me, make me forget everything Ed did to me. When I got to know Daryl better, I could see he was loyal, honorable, a good man. Then you came along." Her gaze met Rosanna's, but with no animosity. "I saw how his eyes followed you, wherever you went, I saw how he would actually _talk_ to you. Then you and he went hunting all the time together, and I saw how happy he was when you guys came back. There was a light in his eyes I had never seen before . . . not even with me . . . and I _knew_ he wanted you. He didn't really want me." She looked away.

Rosanna considered everything Carol said, biting her lip. She took a deep breath. "But Carol," she said gently, "Daryl _does_ care for you. You, and everyone else here, he considers family. I saw how he grieved when he thought you were dead. His joy when he found you."

Carol nodded. "Yes," she answered quietly, "but he will never love me like he does you."

Rosanna shook her head. "It's a little early in our relationship to be talking about love," she said hesitantly, but a nagging feeling in her chest made her realize the lie in her words. Carol noticed it too and huffed.

"Are you telling me you don't love him?" she asked. Rosanna stared at her for a moment.

"Well . . . I . . ."

"What would you do if something happened to him?" Carol asked.

"I'd . . . I'd be devastated," Rosanna said slowly. "But I'm devastated every time something happens to someone in our family."

"He loves you, Rosanna. He has for a long, long time. He loved you back at the farm." Carol scrutinized her, scrunching up her face. "Are you telling me you don't feel the same?"

"I . . . I don't know. I'm not sure about _love_ the way you're saying." Carol shook her head.

"I knew you didn't deserve him," she spat, and turned to walk away.

"No, wait," Rosanna called after her. Carol turned, her eyes blazing in anger. "I know what you're getting at, Carol. I just . . . well, Daryl and I got together so quickly, right after we lost T-Dog and Lori, and after we thought we lost you too. I'm so happy we did, don't get me wrong, I adore Daryl and I want to be with him always . . ." She caught herself and her mouth dropped open in an O. Carol smirked.

"So you _do_ love him. Good." Carol turned to face her with a grin, and went over to slap her on the back. "I had to make sure. He doesn't deserve anything less."

"That's what you needed to know?" Rosanna was confused, both by Carol's actions and the realization that she loved Daryl. Carol nodded.

"Consider the feud between us over. Don't get me wrong, I wish he had chosen me. But I remember when I first met you, and you thought I was Daryl's mother. That was really a slap in the face to me. I want to apologize for being a bitch to you, I knew I didn't have a chance, but I couldn't resist trying to persuade him to be with me. Deep down, I knew he wouldn't, because he loved you. And . . . to be perfectly honest, I also know that even if you weren't here, he still wouldn't choose me." She stared at Rosanna. "Do you forgive me?"

Rosanna just nodded, still a bit blown away by everything Carol was saying. Carol stepped away, her hand on the door, and looked back. "Treat him right, Rosanna. Don't hurt him. Or you'll have me to deal with." She smiled, and was gone, leaving Rosanna open mouthed.


End file.
